Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have gone silent even as campaigns for the December 15 Msambweni parliamentary mini-poll intensify in which eight aspirants are traversing the constituency to consolidate their support base.
DP Ruto’s brigade led by former senators Johnson Muthama (Machakos) Hassan Omar (Mombasa) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) has been missing in campaigns for some weeks now.
The vocal senators have been campaigning for Independent candidate Feisal Bader, who is battling it out with, among others, ODM candidate Omar Boga, who enjoys support from party leader Raila Odinga.
However, the DP’s close ally and former Kwale senatorial aspirant Mshenga Ruga said absence of the former senators does not hamper their campaigns.
“We’re in charge and going strong in our hunt for votes,” he said, adding, “the former senators will join us at an appropriate time,” Mr Ruga said.
Mr Bader’s team is “vigorously going on with the campaigns” and that they have formidable support to win the mini-poll that is being seen as a battle between Mr Odinga and the DP.
But the two frontrunners, Mr Boga and Mr Bader, have continued to make forays into different parts of the constituency to win over the more than 68,000 voters.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who is leading ODM campaigns, has pitched camp in Msambweni.
Over the weekend, Mr Boga’s and Mr Bader’s teams traversed the constituency seeking votes. They skipped a debate on Saturday organised by Human Rights Agenda. Mr Boga held rallies in Eshu, Mwachande, Kilulu, Mivumoni, Maphopmbe and Magodi villages. He was accompanied by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, senators Issah Juma Boy (Kwale) and Mohammed Faki (Mombasa) and Likoni MP Mishi Mboko.
Mr Bader was at Mvindeni issuing bursaries to secondary and university students in the company of Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani. The two main candidates have promised to address poor infrastructure, water shortage, joblessness and insecurity, among others.
Other aspirants who are also campaigning to win the seat that was left vacant following the death of MP Suleiman Dori are independents Charles Bilali and Mansury Kumaka.
Others are Marere Wamwachai (National Vision Party) Hassan Mwakulonda (Party of Economic Democracy) and Khamis Mwakaonje (United Green Movement).
