Joho, Zani camps draw battle lines

By Benard Sanga and Tobias Chanji

Mombasa, KENYA: Nominated Senator Agnes Zani’s support for the ODM Secretary General’s post in the Coast region has shrunk to her native Kwale County.

Political analysts say she has fallen victim to peer jealousy and machinations of Mombasa basedpowerbrokers.

 Most delegates from the county — about 100 of ODM’s 328 delegates in the region — had previously vowed to stick with her.

The Standard on Sunday has learnt that the last straw against Dr Zani came from her own backyard where no ODM leader — including Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, Senator Boy Juma Boy and local MPs — supports her candidature.

Iddi Omar Boga, the deputy majority leader in the Kwale County Assembly, lamented that “women leaders in Kwale and the Coast” were opposed to Zani for no clear reason.

 There are reports the nominated senator’s brother Nicholas Zani, who is eyeing the national deputy organising secretary post, also had the support of Coast leaders.

A member of the Kwale assembly, who asked not to be named, suggested yesterday that Zani was a victim of rivals, including fellow female leaders, who fear her rising political star.

 Pwani University lecturer Dr Hassan Mwakimako said most ODM leaders support Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho’s bid for the deputy party leader’s post in the belief that it makes him close to vying for the presidency in Raila Odinga’s absence.

“Senator Boy Juma Boy might be having fears that Zani might run for senatorial seat, while others like Women’s Representative Zainab Chidzuga do not want a powerful lady. Others just think Zani cannot be manipulated in party primaries,” said Boga. 

His claim is supported by analysts who say rich power brokers in Mombasa fear Dr Zani’s ability to rally the Miji Kenda vote outside their control and are the biggest winners in the short term.

The Zanis are Christians in the Muslim dominated Kwale County and their ancestors were the first family in the area to embrace Christianity and modern education. Minority Christians often complain of local prejudice against them in Kwale.

Early last year, Nicholas (Zani’s brother) was nominated to the Cabinet of the Kwale County government and controversially removed. The Transport docket he had been allocated has been filled by the deputy governor. But the Coast leaders have also withdrawn support for Nicholas’ bid for the national deputy organising secretary’s post.

Lacking support

The Standard on Sunday has also learnt that local ODM leaders ran away from Zani, who was campaigning in North Eastern yesterday, on the pretext that she lacks nationwide support of her own at the behest of powerful Mombasa based power brokers.

 A political analyst who did not want to be mentioned, predicted that the Miji Kenda vote will now be controlled by Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho, who has successfully rallied all ODM leaders in the region to his side and thwarted Zani’s ascendancy. Dr Mwamiko predicted that Zani might still emerge from this contest morally and politically stronger with a backlash expected against those perceived to have hanged her out to dry.

When we spoke to Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi seeking to find out why he and his colleagues in the region prefer Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba to Zani, he claimed the nominated senator is a “product of borrowed support with no base of her own” in apparent reference to reports that the nominated senator was enjoying Raila’s support.

Mwinyi was a member of the committee of five appointed by local ODM leaders to explore Zani’s and Joho’s candidature and negotiate deals with other regions. When it was created, the committee chaired by Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu appeared to support Zani’s ambition. But on Friday, it had repudiated her totally and warmed up to Joho and Namwamba.

Boadroom decision

On Friday, many of the committee members claimed it held no meetings, fuelling fears that withdrawal of Zani’s support was a boardroom decision. Mombasa Women Representative Mishi Mboko said they withdrew Zani’s support because “she has not come to us to seek support directly”.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said Zani “had turned down our invitations.”

Madzayo, who on Friday declared that all delegates from Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa will stand with Zani regardless of the outcome of the committee, dutifully and happily attended the meeting of ODM leaders from the region which resolved to support the Joho-Namwamba line up.

 “He (Joho) is young, ambitious and charismatic enough to lead this party. But we will cross that bridge when we get there. But for Zani, it was bound to happen because we had to trade in one of the post,” said Mazadyo in an interview.

Significantly, other leaders like Kilifi North MP Gideon Mungaro, who recently appeared to be on the same “persecuted side” as Zani, attended yesterday’s meeting in Mombasa where he happily joined Joho, Kingi and Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi County MPs Chidzuga, Mboko and Aisha Katana. Also present were Kilifi South MP Mustafa Iddi, Matuga MP Hassan Mwanyoha and Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori.

When they spoke to the press, the  leaders claimed they had sacrificed Zani to strengthen Joho’s chances of clinching his desired post.

“We had to sacrifice Zani’s candidature so that Joho can win the Deputy Party leader’s post,” said Mwadeghu.

 Mwinyi was more categorical and ruthless, saying Zani should not expect unfettered local support because “she is not representing change on her own” and that local leaders should not be lynched for their political strategy.

He claimed that Zani did not impress the committee after two meetings in Mombasa and Nairobi and denied reports that local ODM leaders were compromised by the Joho-Namwamba group. According to Mwinyi, the committee had discovered that the Joho-Namwamba line up was very popular across Kenya.

“We oppose the proposal to split some party positions to reward failures. As Coast leaders, we want election for the posts that were advertised and we will oppose any move to create new positions,” said Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi.

Mwadeghu said “it was clear that we had to either sacrifice Zani or Joho as the two leaders were both in agreement that whoever will be told to step down for the other will do that”.

Laughable move

 But a section of delegates from Kwale, Taita Taveta and Mombasa criticised the MPs and governors for ditching Zani. Mvita sub-county chairman Abdulhaman Abdulhamid accused the leaders of falling victim to the region’s political tycoons acting as political brokers.

Dr Mwakimako said the leaders’ stated reason for supporting Joho and ditching Zani are laughable given that they gave up an influential position of Secretary General.

“It is true that without the support of the Coast region, Zani will have lost a crucial bloc. But I think the region’s leadership should think twice because they should have preferred the secretary general post,”  he said.

He said there was no guarantee that Joho will be an automatic party leader in the absence of Raila. The don said Zani might emerge from the mess morally stronger for she is the first woman from the region to express interest in a senior position.

 Boga, who is also Kwale County ODM Secretary General, lashed out at the leaders for “undermining our own sons and daughters.”

He noted this was the only opportunity to get a Coastal woman to a high position since Mekatilili Wa Menza.