The ODM party has launched the recruitment of members in the Coast to ward off inroads being made by competitors including UDA, Kanu and Wiper.
The region has become a key hunting ground for those seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in next year's general election.
Last week, both Wiper and ODMsent key strategists to Mombasa to start grassroots mobilisation of supporters.
The previous week, Kanu and UDA also launched recruitment of members in the region.
On Saturday, ODM political affairs secretary Opiyo Wandayi launched the ODM Mashinani Dialogue in Changamwe constituency. The initiative is geared towards supporting party membership recruitment and voter registration drives.
“We have started a new journey as a party,” Wandayi said.
The drives will see ODM grassroots leaders led by Changamwe subcounty chairman Martin Oyoo engage in door-to-door campaigns to recruit members.
“We will leave nothing to chance. We want numbers that will see us win at least 65 per cent of the votes in 2022,” Wandayi who is also Ugunja MP said.
Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi and his Jomvu counterpart Badi Twalib have been tasked with ensuring more youth join the orange party.
They are targeting over 50,000 potential voters who have attained the age of 18.
At the same time, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka held closed-door meetings with party leaders and aspirants in Mombasa.
Wiper has two elected leaders in Mombasa; Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo and Kipevu MCA Faith Mwende.
Mbogo, who has already started mobilising the grassroots in Kisauni, the largest and most populated constituency in Mombasa, is tasked with turning the area blue and white.
“Mbogo has an upper hand because he was elected in the biggest constituency. He wants to use this for both his and his party’s advantage,” an insider who attended the party delegates meeting at Mombasa Beach Hotel told the Star on Saturday.
Mbogo is eying the Mombasa governor's seat.
At the Coast, Wiper has one governor; Taita Taveta’s Granton Samboja.
However, Kalonzo said they are now eying more seats in the region.
“We are going for all the seats. We had Tana River county in 2013. We will equalise that goal scored against us in 2017 there,” the former Vice President said.
On July 23, Kanu announced it will begin a vigorous national voter registration campaign in a bid to revamp the party ahead of the 2022 General Election.
The party held a one-day Kanu county branch retreat at PrideInn Flamingo Beach Resort in Mombasa.
Officials said the party's national voter registration campaign will start in Mombasa with chairman Gideon Moi leading the drive.
Deputy President William Ruto who has said he will use the United Democratic Alliance for his presidential bid next year, has maintained a vigorous campaign in Mombasa.
Ruto has tasked Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar with ensuring UDA gets enough clout in the region to aid his presidential bid.
Ruto has increased his frequency to Mombasa and the larger Coast region.
On Saturday, Twalib said the many trips by different presidential aspirants to Mombasa and the Coast show the significance of the region, which has at least two million votes.
"However, it is the people of Mombasa and Coast in general who will make their own choices in the end," the Jomvu MP said.
He said the days of political waves are long gone and individual leaders will be assessed based on their track records.
“Leaders will be on the Coast people’s weighing scale. We will assess what agenda they have for Coast and Mombasa people and they will be voted for based on that,” he said.
He said the Coast will speak in one voice.
Traditionally, the region has voted for ODM leader Raila Odinga but Ruto has threatened to take a bite of the orange party's stronghold.
Twalib on Saturday said the region is still firmly an ODM zone, allaying fears that there will be a change of fortune in 2022.
“Raila showed leadership amid the controversy over the distribution of political parties’ cash. It is this leadership that the Coast region wants,” Twalib said.
ODM has agreed to share the political parties funding with Nasa affiliates. The party last week announced it was sharing Sh308 million with Wiper, ANC, Ford Kenya and Chama cha Mashinani.
“He was keen to ensure peace prevails, showing he is an astute leader who will take Kenya forward when he becomes president,” Twalib said of Raila.
Wandayi said ODM is a mass movement that will leave nothing to chance.
“Want to win in the first round. We will not give chance to Tangatanga politicians to lie to Kenyans in Mombasa or at the Coast,” the Ugunja lawmaker said.
On Friday, Kalonzo called on Raila to support him saying he has supported the ODM leader during the last two general elections.
But Wandayi said Kalonzo’s desire will not affect ODM plans at the grassroots levels.
“What Kalonzo must know is that in politics, you support someone who has clout. Raila Odinga is the one with the most support of all the politicians in Kenya,” Wandayi said.
“That means if there is anyone to support, it is Raila Amollo Odinga.”
Edited by P.O
