Pressure on sacked Jumwa and Mvurya as Joho re-emerges

Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho. [File, Standard]

Dismissed Cabinet Secretaries Aisha Jumwa and Salim Mvurya are facing a big political fight for their survival, especially after the re-emergence of former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in national politics.

A day before the Cabinet dissolution, Joho joined ODM leader Raila at the State House for a meeting, a signal of his closeness to power and his interest in the current political dispensation.

Since Ruto rose to the presidency, Joho has faced legal conflicts with the Kenya Kwanza regime linked to his shipping and logistics business in Mombasa, Nairobi, and South Sudan.

Ruto’s political strategy for the Coast had favoured Kilifi and Kwale, the home counties of Jumwa and Mvurya respectively, with Joho’s Mombasa largely left out in government appointments. Mombasa did not get any of the 22 Cabinet positions or any other senior positions in the KK government, as Kilifi and Kwale counties benefited.

On Thursday, Ruto promised a fresh start with talks of a government of national unity sparking rumours that top ODM leaders, including Joho, may land Cabinet appointments.

There is talk that Joho, who once served as an Assistant Minister for Transport, could land a ministerial job, which is partly fueled by the fact that for the first time in 24 years, Mombasa, the political and economic capital of the Coast, was excluded from the Cabinet. In Kilifi, Jumwa was appointed CS, former governor Amason Kingi was elected Senate Speaker, while Kilifi North MP Owen Baya became the Deputy Majority Leader in the National Assembly.

In Kwale, besides Mvurya, who was appointed the CS nominee for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, President Ruto’s party, UDA also nominated Raphael Chimera to the Senate.

In Mombasa, the UDA nominated Miraj Abdurrahman to parliament while former Jomvu MCA, Karisa Nzai, got a presidential post.

Political analysts say Ruto favoured Kwale and Kilifi because he garnered substantial votes and seats from the two counties compared to Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Tana River.

Jumwa and Mvurya were the face of the Ruto presidential campaigns as they defied Raila and former President President Uhuru Kenyatta to side with the then deputy president.

Mvurya,54, was the first to end his ties with Raila ahead of the 2017 General Election when he was re-elected governor on a Jubilee Party ticket. He later joined the hustler movement spearheaded by Ruto.

Jumwa,49, was elected Malindi MP on an ODM ticket in 2017 but soon joined the Ruto bandwagon after quitting the Raila camp, teaming up with Mvurya to lead the Ruto presidential campaign in Coast.

During his appointment, Jumwa was fighting court and political battles with ODM trying to remove her from office as MP and a commissioner with the Parliamentary Service Commission.

She fought off charges of murder and corruption involving the Malindi National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

At one point, Jumwa was arrested and locked up at the Port Police Station in Mombasa as she struggled to defend herself against charges that threatened her career.

Mombasa politician Beatrice Gambo said despite the challenges, Jumwa made good political choices and sided with the winning sides which saw her become a CS.

“Jumwa went out to campaign for Kenya Kwanza. She was always ready to sacrifice and she was rewarded with a CS post,” she said.

Gambo said Jumwa’s bravery and the fact that she is vocal remain her strengths as a politician.

Consultant Sociologist and Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Pwani University Halimu Shauri said Mvurya and Jumwa failed both the people of Coast and the President. He said like other past Cabinet Secretaries from the Coast, Jumwa, and Mvurya will find it hard to remain politically relevant.

“Jumwa was all bravado, showoffs, arrogance, and mocking of the electorate on her social media pages. In Coast, the former CSs will find it difficult to win elective seats,” he said.

He said it was clear after the failures of Jumwa and Mvurya, that political power at the Coast would gravitate in a different direction.

“Mvurya was in charge of Mining and Blue Economy, sectors that are key to Coast people but did nothing about it. He was just hype but nothing even in Kwale County where he served as a governor,” said Shauri.

Prof Shairi, an expert in social movements, said Ruto must be guided by two interests when forming the new Cabinet: his interest to remain in power, and the interest of the Gen Zs.

“I doubt that Gen Zs will accept Joho as a Cabinet Secretary. It will be like in the jungle where hyenas (opposition) take advantage of the meal captured by the lion (Gen-zs). If Ruto pushes the Gen Z interest aside then, like a lion, he must be prepared for another attack,” said Shuauri.

Political analyst Maimuna Mwidau said Mvurya was propelled to the political limelight in Coast and the country after his bursary fund, known as Elimu Ni Sasa, enabled thousands of children from poor families to access education, with many up to university level.

“Mvurya has not been associated with corruption as governor and this enabled his deputy Fatuma Achani to ride on his legacy to become governor,” she noted.