Why we should watch out for Joho

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE </xml><xml> </xml> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style>

He is the most sought after, most talked about governor in the country. He seems to be enjoying what most of his fellow governors are not. In the past few months, he has been traversing the entire nation trying to sell his party ODM to the electorates. What has raised political eye brows is the fact that the governor is quickly curving out a political image that transcends his area of locality which is the former coast province. He has assumed the leadership of the coastal people, which is something that had been missing since the demise of Sharif Nassir and Karissa Maitha.

Word floating around in the political arena is that Joho might be ODM’s Raila Odinga running mate come 2017. This might explain why the governor has increased his political activities throughout the country. He has visited the North Eastern, Nairobi, Kitui and Kisumu counties to popularize ODM and as well himself. Word also has it that ODM might try to go it all alone to the ballot come 2017.

His in roads has created an image for him. He is now a very powerful politician in the country. However, depending on how he will harness this new found power, Joho will have to make extremely calculated moves to ensure that he retains this pull he enjoys right now all the way to the ballot in the year 2022 when he will be running for the top seat. If he plays his cards very well, then he might just be the most powerful politician come 2022.

What is unique about the 2022 elections is that there won’t be an incumbent trying to defend the seat. H.E Uhuru Kenyatta will have served his two terms and all that will be left is for the new leaders to run for the top seat. What Joho should do is to ensure that he maintains a national political outlook; however, he should not run as a candidate in the deputy’s position in 2017. This will give him time to prepare for the 2022 elections. Maintaining a national outlook would ensure a win for Joho in the 2017 Mombasa gubernatorial race against Hassan Omar.

After the 2017 elections Joho will have ample time to traverse the entire nation as a vice chair of the Orange Democratic Movement. He will be able to inherit the ODM’S supporters from Raila Odinga whom all indicators point to a man who is taking a last stab at the presidency. From there onwards, Joho will be able to chart his own destiny by forming a formidable coalition with like-minded leaders. Being from the coastal region, he would be able to gunner support from most parts of the country owing to the fact that most people have some form of mistrust to the two major tribes in the country.

As it stands out, Governor Joho’s star is rising and it is worth noting that he is the only man who will be able to shape his own destiny politically by creating networks that surpass his regional and party politics. He is in the position that H.E the DP found himself in when former president Daniel Moi retired from elective politics. He is a good politician and what remains is to see how he would handle his new found political influence.