Mombasa County residents are fast being treated to a new political scenario, totally different from what they saw just before the last elections.

Several previously sworn political enemies are publicly embracing one another.

It would appear nobody would, for example, have embraced the Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala as supremacy battles reigned at the Coast. But the latest show of unity by politicians from CORD and Jubilee factions is something locals appreciate.

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, his key ally and Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir are warming up to Balala in what some thought is a temporary relationship following their different ideologies.

But Mr Nassir says he and other local politicians want to lead a unified Coast and keep party politics aside, at least for the next four years

“We can then differ later when it is time to compete in an election, which is not anywhere near at this moment,” he said.

Mr Balala himself has confirmed he is working with the Governor and Mr Nassir as well as other leaders for the sake of development.

But national chairman of the Chama Cha Uzalendo Maur Abdalla Bwanamaka sees the development as a temporary relationship. “I don’t think this is a serious relationship. I don’t think it can be sustained,” he said.

Quit ODM

Balala and Joho engaged in a long-standing supremacy battle immediately after the 2007 election after each sponsored a candidate in the Mombasa mayoral election. Mr Ahmed Mohdhar, Joho’s choice for the seat, triumphed.

Joho soon teamed up with the new Mvita MP, leaving an isolated Balala. Balala soon quit ODM, a party on whose ticket he had ridden on to clinch the Mvita MP seat. He had also been a member of the party’s Pentagon team.

Prior to the last General Election and his sacking by ODM leader Raila Odinga, Balala formed Republican Congress Party of Kenya and joined the Jubilee coalition. He lost his bid for the Mombasa senatorial race.

Last week, Balala said he was ready to reconcile and unite with former rivals in the county to foster development.

“There is no more politics of plotting, backstabbing and sabotage. The doors to my office are open 24 hours and I am going to work closely with the governor,” Balala said at the Sheikh Abdalla Al Farsy Girls Secondary School in Mvita during a prize-giving day last Sunday.

He urged the governor to prioritise education matters in the county to uplift standards.