- The nine are now scheduled to be cleared by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
- Mombasa governor seat is up for grabs after Joho served his two five-year terms.
Image: IEBC
The race to succeed Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in the August 9 General Election has attracted nine aspirants.
They are now scheduled to be cleared by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Mombasa governor seat is up for grabs after Joho served his two five-year terms.
The IEBC is also scheduled to clear 14 aspirants for the Mombasa Woman Representative seat and another 14 individuals to run for Senate.
However, the incumbent Mombasa Woman Representative Asha Hussein is missing from the list. Hussein, who lost the ODM nomination to Zamzam Mohammed, has only served for one term.
According to the list released by IEBC, clearance for Senate seat begun on Sunday, where five aspirants; Elisha Kilale (Tujibebe Party), Hisham Mwidau (independent), Miraj Abdhalla (PAA), Hazel Katana (Jubilee), and Margaret Masiko (DAP-K) were cleared.
On Monday, IEBC was scheduled to clear five more candidates; Abdulsalam Kassim (Wiper), Charles Bwire (ANC), Alamin Somo (independent), Hamisi Mwaguya (UDA), and Joyce Mwangoma (Safina).
On Tuesday, the incumbent Mohamed Faki (ODM), Mohamed Amir (independent), Peterson Mitau (Maendeleo Chap Chap), and Cornelius Mutune will have a date with the electoral agency.
Competition in the senate race is expected between Faki, Mwaguya and Kassim.
From Wednesday, IEBC will start clearing the 14 aspirants for the Mombasa woman representative.
Five aspirants; Edna Mildred Amimo (UPIA party), Zainab Abdalla (Usawa), Fatma Barayan (UDA), Lubna Nassir (independent) and Hamisa Zaja (United Green Movement) will be cleared on Wednesday.
The following day, Elizabeth Lubalo (independent), Phenny Kighala (Tujibebe) Elizabeth Waweru (USP), Zipporah Tabu (independent) and Esther Cheptanui of Wiper will face IEBC team.
Zamzam Mohammed (ODM), Amina Abdalla (Jubilee), Afya Rama (ANC) and Irene Katiwa of the Federal Party will all present their papers on Friday.
Zamzam, Baryan, and Zaja are said to be the front runners in the race.
According to the IEBC schedule, the nine governor aspirants in Mombasa will start the clearing process on Saturday through to Tuesday next week.
Each candidate is expected to be given at least three hours with the IEBC.
The first to face the panel from the electoral agency will be Daniel Munga Kitsao, an independent candidate.
Former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar running on UDA, who is taking a second shot at the governor’s seat after being trounced by Joho in 2017, will present his papers on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, IEBC will clear three governor aspirants; Mombasa deputy governor William Kingi (PAA), former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti (Vibrant Democratic Party), and Antony Chivati of UDP.
On Monday, Said Abdalla (Usawa) and Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir (ODM) will face the IEBC.
Shafii Makazi (UPIA) and former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko of Wiper are expected to present papers on Tuesday.
In the Mombasa governor race, Nassir, Sonko, and Omar are the front runners.
Nassir enjoys the huge support of ODM and has been in the lead in several opinion polls, but Sonko's entry into the race complicated his chances.
Sonko’s fate however hangs in the balance as rights groups have gone to court to bar him from contesting after he was impeached as Nairobi governor in December 2020.
-Edited by SKanyara