Coast ODM line up takes shape in spite of Mombasa, Taita Taveta troubles

 

Tudor MCA aspirant Tobias Samba (centre) with his certificate at Tononoka Hall in Mombasa. Mr Samba clinched the ODM ticket in the primaries. Results for the woman representative and senatorial seat contests have not been announced. [Photo:Omondi Onyango, Standard]

The line-up of candidates who will battle for various elective seats at the Coast in the August elections is shaping up.

This is despite the fact that ODM is yet to announce the results for two counties.

Two days after the end of polling, results for key ODM primaries in Mombasa and Taita Taveta counties are yet to be announced.

The outcome of the races for governor, senator and woman representative have not been announced following botched primaries that have sparked tension and anxiety.

"We are waiting for further directives from the National Elections Board over the fate of the votes whose results were cancelled," said David Odada, the Mombasa County elections board chairman. Senator aspirants Mohamed Faki and Hamisi Mwaguya have both claimed victory.

Mr Faki said he won after garnering 11,236 votes against Mr Mwaguya's 9,638 votes.

But Mwaguya countered that he beat Faki by about 4,000 votes and demanded the nomination certificate from ODM, saying, "We cannot wait for an extra day."

Meanwhile, Asha Hussein Mohamed claims she won the Mombasa woman representative ticket.

Repeat polls

Yesterday, reports indicated the party was considering holding repeat polls today and tomorrow in parts of Kisauni, Changamwe and Jomvu in Mombasa, and Taveta sub-county, where polls ended inconclusively last week.

In Kilifi, most primary polls ended without incident, with Kibarani MCA Getrude Mbeyu winning the woman representative race while the incumbent, Aisha Jumwa, upset Malindi MP Willy Mtengo's bid to defend his seat via ODM.

Mr Mtengo rejected the results, claiming they were contrived. Ms Jumwa had claimed that Governor Amason Kingi had supported Mtengo's candidacy as the MP said he was robbed.

The governor denied taking sides and pledged to unify the party.

The effects of Mombasa's chaotic primaries were evident yesterday, when Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi was charged with 10 counts of destroying poll materials and obstructing police during the elections that were characterised by violence and protests. [See separate story on page 29].

Protests and violence

Besides Changamwe, violence and protests were witnessed in Nyali, Jomvu and Kisauni constituencies, affecting the tallying for the Mombasa senatorial and woman representative races besides the outcome of some parliamentary contests.

In Jomvu, incumbent MP Badi Twalib Badi, who defected from Wiper to ODM, is locked in a tight race for the parliamentary ticket against trade unionist Dan Aloo.

ODM declared businessman Said Abdallah the winner of the Nyali constituency primaries after he trounced his main competitor, journalist Mohamed Ali. Mr Ali has rejected the results.

According to the final tally, Mr Abdallah, who is also known as Saido, garnered 3,671 votes against Mr Mohamed's 2,987.

Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of all Mombasa MCAs vying through ODM were voted out.

In Likoni, Mombasa Woman Representative Mishi Mboko got the green light to contest the constituency position after beating her closest contender, Khamis Ali Domoko.

[Reporting by Benard Sanga, Patrick Beja, Tobias Chanji and Hassan Barisa]