Tension between two ODM MPs over Malindi seat

The battle for the Malindi parliamentary seat between William Baraka Mtengo and Kilifi County MP Aisha Jumwa has been thrown into a spin following a surprise endorsement of the incumbent by two senior ODM officials in the county.

Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo and ODM Kilifi official Anderson Ngombo publicly declared on Tuesday that they will rally support for Mtengo to retain the Malindi seat come 2017.

The pronouncement by the two leaders has however received a backlash from Jumwa who has asked Madzayo and Ngombo to stay out of Malindi politics.

The endorsement is likely to trigger tensions between Mr Mtengo and Ms Jumwa who are key lieutenants of Governor Amason Kingi.

The debate emerged during a breakfast meeting at the governor Kingi's residence in Kilifi town where Jumwa and Mtengo exchanged bitter words.

Governor Kingi said the two rivals have their own strategy of how to convince people of Malindi and win the party nomination and assured that he would back the people's choice, warning the two politicians not to engage in actions that give Jubilee advantage in 2017.

"We campaigned for Willy Mtengo extensively during the by election. Next year, Mtengo will have to face the same scenario as other candidates in a nomination process. That is democracy. All we want is for the ODM family to remain intact so that we retain the Malindi seat," said Kingi.

The fallout between the two leaders began just a month after Mr Mtengo's victory in in the March 7, 2016 Malindi by-election that was hotly contested by Cord and Jubilee coalitions.

Mr Mtengo trounced Jubilee's Mr Philip Charo after governor Kingi, his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho and Ms Jumwa camped in Malindi for two months to wrestle Jubilee team headed by Deputy President William Ruto.

The seat had been left vacant after the elevation of Dan Kazungu who was head hunted by President Uhuru Kenya to head the Mining docket as Mining Cabinet Secretary.

However it was apparent yesterday that the political honeymoon was over in ODM following the pronouncement by the two leaders.

The move has put a load on Kilifi Governor Kingi in trying to quell the tension among the two leaders who had united to defeated Jubilee early this year.

Madzayo was first to stir the hornets' nest after he led a group of Malindi grassroots leaders in castigating Ms Jumwa declaring his unwavering support for Mr Mtengo stating that he would not forsake the MP in favour of Ms Jumwa.

The local delegation from Malindi which had paid a call on the governor now wants the party to endorse a local, native born and breed in Malindi who will cater for their grievance claiming that Aisha was a foreigner in Malindi.

"There have been talks that there are some people who want to change our line up come 2017...but how can we change an already winning team when we are three goals up?" posed Madzayo.

"I want to tell the people of Malindi, our team is complete. we have the governor King, myself and our last born in parliament Willy Mtengo. This is full winning team and we will not disown Mtengo... I will fully support his bid in 2017 and call upon the people of Malindi to do the same," said Madzayo.

Mr Ngombo, an influential nominated MCA and a close confidant of the Governor Kingi, castigated Jumwa claiming that the Kilifi county women representative was selfish in eying the Malindi seat.

However Ms Jumwa who was present during the breakfast meeting at the governor's official residence was quick to dismiss the two leaders' claims by Mr Madzayo and Mr Ngombo had no impact on his quest to unseat Mr Mtengo.

"Madzayo is a resident of Kilifi county and he has a right as a person and a leader to endorse whoever he feel is right. But he has does not have any vote in Malindi and cannot influence anybody," said Jumwa.

"As of now I am still conducting my duties as the elected women representative of Kilifi on an ODM ticket, and when the time comes I will offer myself for the position of Malindi MP and the people of Malindi are the ones who are going to decide," asserted Jumwa .

"The decision is solely the preserve of the people of Malindi who will see whether I have the right qualifications to serve them or not," she added

Mtengo was critical of the Kilifi MP terming her as a hypocrite who was yearning to divide the party in Kilifi.

"You need to have an agenda and tell us what you have done for the people of Kilifi in the last four years you have been in office. We don't want hypocrites in the party. But we need guidance and direction in solving this stalemate... it will be regrettable if we have to go to Nairobi to seek for a solution and you are here as our leader," warned Mr Mtengo.

But Ms Jumwa said there would be no favouritism during the nomination for the ODM party ticket and they would square it out with Mr Mtengo and whoever will win should support the other.

ends