It’s work and not cheap politics, says Balala

By Athman Amran

For the past two years Tourism Minister Najib Balala has been relatively obscure in ODM affairs.

Similarly, he has not been very visible in political matters of Coast Province and this has led to speculations that he could have fallen out of favour with the party leader Raila Odinga.

This became more pronounced when Balala failed to clinch a seat in the ODM party national elections on December 18, last year.

His three colleagues in the 2007 party presidential nomination race, ministers Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, and Joseph Nyagah got crucial party posts. Mudavadi and Ruto became deputy party leaders while Nyagah took one of five vice-chairmen.

And at the Coast, Balala’s perceived rival for Raila’s attention, Kisauni MP Hassan Joho, ensured his ally, Mr Ahmed Mohdhar, beat the minister’s preferred candidate, Mr Tawfiq Balala in the mayoral elections last year.

Joho then went on to be elected ODM national organising secretary and Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe was elected deputy chairman.

In June, Tawfiq threw in the towel and resigned as nominated councillor paving the way for Mohdhar’s re-election as mayor unopposed.

But talking to The Standard on Sunday, Balala said things are not as they seem to appear. He also explained why he has avoided commenting on party matters or politics.

"Since the disputed 2007 presidential election, I have reflected carefully and thought that it was better to address national rather than partisan issues," Balala said.

Campaign slogan

The Mvita MP said he has also been keeping the promise he made during the 2007 General Election of "kazi ianze (work should begin)" as opposed to "siasa au porojo (politics or nonsense)". He also pointed out that there was no need for him to comment on party matters, as he was not a party official, saying that was the work of party spokesman. "There is a structure of officials and a spokesman. Even in the Pentagon the spokesman is the Captain (Raila)," Balala explained. Balala dismissed talk that his political star has dimmed since 2007, terming it "superficial".

"I have not fallen out with the Prime Minister. We meet at Cabinet meetings.

I have been around him. We have mutual respect for each other. Also the era of entourages is long gone," Balala explained. He added that as a Pentagon member they met with Raila at his house last week, to discuss "national issues".

"I have also been busy doing my job as Minister for Tourism. I am a salesman of the country and so I travel a lot," Balala said.

The Mvita MP says he is in ODM "as long as it sticks with the people’s ideals and aspirations" and that he was not denied a national position in party elections.

"My ambition had been to be party chairman but I pulled out after Raila’s request that I do so," Balala said. He added that he did not want any other position other than chairman. "I am a Pentagon member and party founder member so I preferred to share positions with my colleagues at the Coast," Balala explained.

He said he also sits in the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution. The minister explained he has not lost out in Mombasa or at the Coast. He, however, confesses some tycoons at the Coast sabotaged the chances of his preferred candidate of winning Mombasa mayoral elections.

"But personally I have no problems with Mayor Mohdhar. You have never heard me attacking him in public forums," Balala said.

He said the tycoons who forced him out of the mayoral seat in 1998, tried to sabotage his ambitions for the Mvita Parliamentary seat in 2002 and 2007.

Distribution of wealth

"I beat them in both instances. They do not like my principles of equal distribution of wealth and resources and safeguarding of the rights of the people," Balala said.

Adding: "I do not want their businesses, their money or goodwill if I were to choose between them and the rights of the people. I want to collaborate with everybody for the general good of coastal people."

The minister said that his vision is to see unity of the Coast.

"Unity of the province is paramount so that we read from the same script and have the same vision," Balala said.

Together with the Coast Parliamentary Group Balala said his vision for the province is the creation of wealth for the region and the country.

"If the creation of a free port would be transparent, it would create wealth. There should also be infrastructure to facilitate trade and agriculture," Balala told The Standard on Sunday.