Why Jubilee has failed to win political support at the Coast

A clash between ODM rebel MPs and local Jubilee officials has hampered the ruling coalition’s efforts to spread its political influence at the Coast.

The ruling coalition has been visibly dormant after the 2013 elections, with some local party officials blaming the Jubilee leadership of concentrating more on courting ODM rebel MPs at the expense of coalition activities.

The National Party (TNA) and United Republican Party (URP) local officials say they have been ignored as the ODM rebel group has been working with the coalition’s national leaders.

There is growing fear that if things do not change soon, it would be hard to sell Jubilee to voters unless the ODM rebel group led by Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro crosses over to the Government side in 2017.

The officials want President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto to revamp coalition activities to enhance its chances of winning over the region, currently a political stronghold of the Opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

Mombasa County TNA Chairman Matano Chengo said the President was expected to meet local party officials and community leaders during the festive season to discuss plans to penetrate the region, but the meeting was cancelled as the Government was pre-occupied with the Security Bill.

“We expect the President and our national coalition leaders to set aside time to meet Coast party officials, supporters and community leaders so as to revamp the ruling coalition,” Chengo said.

Former Cabinet minister Suleiman Rashid Shakombo, who is URP’s top official in Mombasa, said Jubilee programmes at the Coast have stalled as the focus of the top coalition leadership has been on the ODM rebels.

“URP and TNA leaders have been consulting on a daily basis but ODM rebels have been working in isolation. They have received a lot of support from the top most Jubilee leaders particularly in harambees. Unless things change, it will be difficult for us to convince the people on the ground come election time,” Shakombo warned.

Busy bodies

He expressed concern that the slow pace of implementation of Government projects such as settling squatters and implementing the multi-billion shilling Dongo Kundu road project has further dampened the spirits of coalition supporters.

“Land owners at Dongo Kundu have been waiting to be compensated. Residents are looking forward to the bypass which will provide a direct link to the south coast to kick off. The resettling of squatters will boost the ruling coalition’s chances of winning more votes,” Shakombo said.

Abdalla Mwaruwa, a former Mombasa County TNA governor hopeful, said the Jubilee leadership has ignored those who supported it during the polls.

“There have been no Jubilee activities at the Coast since the 2013 general election. Those who fought for the party during the polls like me have been pushed to the periphery and busy bodies are now in charge of Jubilee affairs,” Mr Mwaruwa said.

Chengo, however, said the Jubilee Government has done well in tackling some critical problems at the Coast, especially the land issue. President Kenyatta and his Deputy issued out 60,000 title deeds to residents in 2013, with the Government planning to issue out more documents this year.

“The Jubilee Government has pushed for better maize prices and lower prices for petroleum products as well as building rail and road infrastructure. This has helped sell the Jubilee coalition to coastal residents,” Chengo said.

He expressed hope that if elections were called today, the Jubilee coalition would collect more votes at in the region than it did in the 2013 polls.

This, he said, is also due to appointments of natives of the Coast to top state jobs. Valentine Mwakamba, the TNA Coast regional co-ordinator, said the coalition partners are planning to revamp themselves through membership recruitment drives. He, however, admitted that Jubilee has gone silent for long, with Government projects like the Voi-Taveta highway and the Standard Gauge Railway as its notable programmes in the region.

But Hassan Mwakimako, a political analylist, said political parties in Kenya lack post-polls programmes as has been witnessed with the Jubilee coalition.

“Political parties in Kenya lack political programmes beyond elections. CORD has been using the referendum campaign as its post-poll political activity,” Dr Mwakimako said.

Key pointman

He said the Jubilee coalition’s key pointman in the region is Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala. But because cabinet secretaries cannot engage in political activities, the coalition has no one to offer leadership in Coast.

Mwakimako said the ruling coalition has been relying on Mung’aro, an ODM rebel, to lead its activities at the Coast.

Maimuna Mwidau, another political analyst, said direct competition by political parties has changed at the Coast following the emergence of Commonwealth of Coast Counties being fronted by governors and other leaders.

Ms Mwidau said this has forced the Mung’aro team into a working relationship with Coast Development Authority (CDA) and push the National Government to increase its funding of economic programmes in the region.

The Commonwealth of Coast Counties, headed by Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho, has forged working relationship with local public universities to benefit from research and innovation.

“Both teams are pursuing similar social economic agenda for the Coast. This is where Coast is heading to instead of the usual politicking,” Mwidau added.