Jumwa relegated to Malindi politics as Joho roots for Ruto at the Coast

Former Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa seems to have changed roles with Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime CS Hassan Joho in defending President William Ruto.

While she was kicked out of the Cabinet, Joho has taken up her role of fighting real and perceived critics of Ruto and his so-called broad-based government.

Jumwa, who is now eyeing the Malindi gubernatorial seat, has remained isolated and relegated to her rural area in Malindi

Although Ruto also has Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and Youth Affairs and Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Salim Mvurya, all from the Coast, Joho has been outstanding in being vocal in the region and could only be compared with Jumwa in her good days.

Her troubles appear to be mounting in the county scene. Her allies from the 2022 General Election, including Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, have recently teamed up with Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro of ODM.

Baya, who is the Deputy Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, recently told Jumwa and Kilifi UDA MCAs to respect Mung’aro and give him time to deliver services to residents, in what appeared to be a complete change of heart.

Jumwa rose from Kanu youth winger in the 1990s to Mnarani councillor and later Kilifi Town Council chairperson before shooting into the national limelight.

Throughout her career, Jumwa was vocal, but her political fortunes took a steep rise when she became Kilifi County Woman Rep in 2013 as she defended ODM party boss Raila Odinga, even to the extent of being locked in a Nairobi police cell for criticising the Jubilee government.

After the falling out with Raila, when the latter closed ranks with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in a handshake that culminated in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which pushed out then-Deputy President William Ruto, Jumwa shifted allegiance and joined Ruto’s bandwagon.

Jumwa faced threats of being removed from her Malindi woman rep seat for jumping ship and working with Ruto, but she boldly maintained that “the train had left the station and she would not alight.”

She became the fiercest campaigner for Ruto’s candidate — Feisal Bader — in the Msambweni parliamentary by-election and continued to support Ruto in the consequent General Election, helping secure his victory. She first landed the Public Service CS docket, but Ruto later shifted her to the Gender docket and then surprised many by showing the key political ally the door.

However, it now seems the political tide has changed for the tough politician who was once a darling of Ruto.She is known for her dramatic political style, robust responses to critics, and fierce defence of her political bosses.

The formation of the broad-based government that saw Raila’s allies join Ruto’s Cabinet has thrown Jumwa into political oblivion.

When Ruto laid the foundation stone for a Sh50 million market in Watamu, Kilifi County, in July last year, the President promised Jumwa a government job, but this has remained just a pledge.

“As I promised my sister Aisha Jumwa, I will sort her out and make sure that she is involved in matters of government because she is a heroine,” Ruto had said

Politics has taken a turn in the Coast after Ruto formed the current Cabinet in July last year, which brought in Joho.

These days, Jumwa appears to be giving up on ever being appointed to a government position and does not follow Ruto when he visits the Coast.

However, she has maintained her “siko soko” clarion call to indicate that she is still loyal to Ruto and his UDA party.

When she recently attended the thanksgiving ceremony for Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Jumwa was asked to rejoin ODM but insisted she had established herself elsewhere.

She claimed she had attended the event by invitation to benchmark for Kilifi County, as she was optimistic about becoming governor in 2027.

Joho, once Ruto’s fiercest critic, has now become the President’s leading defender in the Coast region.

He has been using his Cabinet Secretary position to traverse the country, propagating Ruto’s agenda and defending the broad-based government.

Joho and Mvurya are now the captains of Ruto’s team at the Coast. In Kilifi, with Jumwa outside Ruto’s inner circle, Governor Mung’aro appears to be edging closer to the centre of power, as he is in good books with both Ruto and Raila.

Whether bolstering the Ruto team with Joho’s entry will give the President an advantage in the Coast remains to be seen.

Joho and Hassan Omar became allies when the former joined Ruto’s Cabinet.

In the last polls, Omar, who is also a member of the East African Legislative Assembly, was Ruto’s point man in Mombasa County, while Joho supported Raila.

Omar ran against Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir for the governorship in the 2022 General Election

Pwani University lecturer Halim Shauri observed that the closing of ranks between Ruto and Raila marks the roadmap to the 2027 polls, where Joho will be a key player in Coast politics.

Prof Shauri noted that it was Ruto’s political strategy to amass votes in the Coast and other parts of the country, away from the Mt Kenya region, where there is uncertainty of securing a bloc vote following the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Shauri noted that with the new allies, Ruto now has a political lifeline in the face of Gen Z threats to his administration. In this matrix, Joho, the first Mombasa governor, stands out as a force to reckon with in Coast politics.

Shauri said Ruto is firmly focused on re-election in 2027, even with the new developments in Central Kenya politics and other shifting interests.

He noted that any president would expect to serve two terms and enjoy the trappings of power and the resources that come with that office. This has necessitated the alliance with Raila and his point men to consolidate votes.

“Ruto now has Raila and Mudavadi in his fold. There is a constitutional requirement that a presidential candidate must win in at least 25 counties out of the 47. With Joho and Mvurya, Ruto expects to win many votes in the six coastal counties and areas dominated by Muslims across the country,” he noted.

Political analyst, Hassan Mwakimako, noted that Joho and Mvurya will bolster Ruto’s political agenda for the 2027 polls, particularly if the two Cabinet Secretaries succeed in their dockets and generate jobs and wealth for the region.

According to Prof Mwakimako, Ruto settled on Joho and Mvurya as his Coast point men, together with Senate Speaker Kingi, who hails from Kilifi County, to beef up his team in the region.

“To me, Ruto and Raila want to strengthen their team with a focus on winning the next elections,” Mwakimako said.

A prominent Mombasa lawyer, Abubakar Yusuf, observed that the Coast pre-election pledges made by President Ruto, such as the settlement of squatters through buying land from absent landlords and creating jobs for the youth, have to be fulfilled for the new-look Ruto team at the Coast to attract votes in the next polls.

He said if the broad-based government creates many jobs at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, it will give a huge boost to Ruto’s second presidency bid.

[email protected]“This union between Ruto and Raila is focused on winning the 2027 polls. It makes it easier for President Ruto to get more votes in the Coast. The question is, will they succeed?” he posed.