Takeover by Mombasa CORD defectors causes ripples in JAP

The National Alliance (TNA) Coast Coordinator Farid Swaleh (right) leads a massive walk out during their function Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) leadership while receiving Suleiman Shahbal to JAP after he defected from Wiper. Nominated Senators Emma Mbura and Mvita Mshenga also followed Farid alleging disrespect by JAP officials.

MOMBASA: Recent defectors from the Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are in control of the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) in Mombasa after edging out a group of officials from Jubilee’s constituent parties.

The takeover by Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal, who contested the 2013 Mombasa gubernatorial seat under WDM, and Changamwe WDM parliamentary seat loser Philip Ndolo, was cemented during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tour of Mombasa in August when they were reportedly given the green light to spearhead JAP activities in Mombasa and the Coast region.

WDM and ODM are constituent parties of the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) while JAP is composed of parties affiliated to the ruling Jubilee Alliance, including President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) and Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP).

The struggle for control of JAP in Mombasa began when Shahbal and former Changamwe MP Ramadhan Seif Kajembe defected from WDM and ODM respectively, to TNA then JAP mid this year.

The defections sparked panic among longstanding Jubilee officials, including TNA Nominated Senator Emma Mbura, who felt the defectors from CORD were getting preferential treatment.

Now Shahbal’s group says it has the mandate and will to wrest Mombasa and Coast from the domination of ODM and CORD.

Ndolo, who is a former chairman of the defunct Hotels and Restaurant Authority, and Shahbal says they have been tasked to bolster support for JAP in Mombasa and the larger Coastal region.

“It is no mean task but we are up to the task and hope to do lots of ground work to convince the electorate in this part of the country to support the Government and work towards sustainable development for all,’’ Ndolo told The Standard on Sunday in a recent interview.

Despite the apparent thawing of relations, Ali Mwatsahu, who was Jubilee’s coordinator in Mombasa until the formation of JAP in January and laid claim to the new party’s chairmanship, says he is not about to be elbowed out.

“Shahbal and his group have joined the party as members and should remain members,” Mwatsahu said. “There is a trend where businessmen join parties then take over and start to dictate what happens there.”

He added that anyone who seeks an elective post on a JAP ticket cannot also hold a party position, in apparent reference to Shahbal who lays claims to JAP’s chairmanship for Mombasa and is also interested in the governorship.

To kickstart JAP’s forays in the area, Ndolo recently announced that they had acquired an office block within the upmarket Nyali area where they plan to set up a secretariat.

As he made the revelations, Nominated Senator Emma Mbura threw her weight behind the new JAP leaders in Mombasa.

She said Shahbal, Ndolo and Ramadhan Kajembe had the means and capability to turn round the fortunes of JAP in a region dominated by CORD.

Separately, JAP is reported to have been engaged in behind the scenes meetings to try and lure dissenting voices from the CORD leadership at the Coast.

The officials are hoping to bring into their fold the likes of Kilfi North legislator Gideon Mungaro, who is credited with having a huge following among the Mijikenda community.

"Mungaro is well connected and has friends in and out of the country owing to his past association with the tourism industry and during the time he was mayor of Malindi,’’ a source within JAP Mombasa said on condition of anonymity.

Mung’aro has the backing of about 20 MPs from the region and it is these MPs that JAP officials are hoping to draw in.

Ndolo, who unsuccessfully view for the Changamwe seat in the last two general elections, has been tasked with approaching the ‘rebel’ CORD legislators.

These include Mustafa Idd (Kilifi South), Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi County), Dan Kazungu (Malindi), Zainab Chidzuga (Kwale County) and Khatib Mwashetani of Lunga Lunga.

Two legislators from Taita Taveta County, Jones Mlolwa (Voi) and Andrew Mwadime from Mwatate, have also been mentioned though we could not independently verify their alliance.

According to sources, some of the MPs have already been approached but have not committed themselves to supporting JAP, at least not publicly.

On Monday, in an interview, JAP Mombasa interim chairman Shahbal said that the Coast region should expect a mass walkout from CORD in 2017.

“We will work very closely with all party friendly forces. There are many MPs in ODM who will switch allegiance. You wait and see,” he said over the phone.

He said the MPs were only waiting for the opportune time to make their move.

Ndolo said they had to first deal with people who thought they had a monopoly over JAP because they had been in the affiliate parties for a long time.

The officials and other party supporters concede that they have a long way to go to ensure a smooth transition from all Jubilee affiliate parties.

However, Shahbal and Ndolo said the dissenting voices in JAP have a right to give their opinions and make themselves heard.

“That is normal in politics. There is no political party that has no dissenting voices,” said Shahbal.

It is the dissenting voices that have delayed the intended launch of a grassroots recruitment drive.

The launch has to also get approval from President Uhuru Kenyatta who is likely to be the leader of JAP.

Uhuru has been avoiding the party’s Mombasa politics due to the seemingly lack of organisation, according to sources in JAP.