The person who will support a Ford Kenya candidate for Mombasa senator between Senator Hassan Omar and Governor Hassan Joho will get my support, Senator Boni Khalwale has said.
He wants the senatorial seat left for Ford Kenya hopeful Yasser Bajaber. Khalwale spoke on Saturday in Mombasa.
He said this will be in exchange for his support for either Wiper’s Omar or ODM’s Joho for governor, depending on who endorses Bajaber first.
Omar and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti want to wrest the governor’s seat from Joho. Khalwale indicated he prefers Omar to Joho. This could be attributed to Joho’s support for Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, whose reelection he has endorsed. Both are ODM deputy party leaders. Khalwale will run against Oparanya. He has vowed to send the governor home.
Both Omar and Awiti have rejected Cord joint nominations. In view of this, the coalition will have to carefully carry out nomination, without causing friction.
“I want to announce to Wiper and ODM that our interest in Mombasa, as Ford Kenya, is Yasser. If Wiper supports Yasser for senator, we will return the favour and support Hassan Omar for governor,” he said.
“But if ODM are clever, they should run fast and support Yasser. This is the principle of scratch my back, I scratch yours.”
ODM has several candidates for the senator seat. They include county executives Abbas Mohamed and Tendai Mtana. Wiper has Faris Rubea.
Ford Kenya has indicated Yasser will not be subjected to any nomination under Cord. He will get a direct ticket to run for the seat.
Khalwale said the party will field candidates for all elective seats, except for the presidential candidate, which the party has agreed to a joint nomination with other Cord affiliates.
“If we lock Yasser into a boardroom with an opponent from ODM or Wiper, chances are thoe delegates might make the wrong decision and deny the people of Mombasa an opportunity to have the right choice,” Khalwale said.
