• "This time round we also want to be recognised and represented in the county leadership," Mbaiti said.
• The Kamba community is perceived to be the second largest voting bloc in Mombasa after the Mijikenda.
The Kamba community living in Mombasa has endorsed Mombasa UDA governor candidate Hassan Omar.
They are also pushing for two county executive seats in the Mombasa government.
Led by Luka Mbaiti, a community elder from Changamwe, they said they have been neglected by past regimes in Mombasa for the last 25 years.
Mbaiti spoke in Nyali on Thursday afternoon when he led a delegation of community members drawn from the six Mombasa constituencies.
"We have been neglected for the past 25 years even after voting overwhelmingly for the past regimes. This time round we also want to be recognised and represented in the county leadership," he said.
Mbaiti who is also the deputy chairman of Kanu in Mombasa promised that they will work with Omar.
He said they will mobilise community members in the county to vote for Omar in the gubernatorial election slated for Monday.
The Kamba community is perceived to be the second largest voting bloc in Mombasa after the Mijikenda.
"We have Kamba's from Kanu, Wiper and ODM represented here today. As you form the next county government, give us two slots in the executive and other administrative positions. Remembers us in the county tenders too," Mbaiti told Omar.
The candidate promised to work with the community saying he will distribute county positions equally to all communities living and working in Mombasa.
He acknowledged that the community stood with him during his time while in Wiper, voting for him twice in 2013 as senator and in 2017, when he attempted to topple Governor Hassan Joho.
"You gave me a political base both in 2013 and 2017. Thank you for reassuring me that the base once again is here. Let the numbers count on Monday," Omar said.
According to Omar, of the 641,000 registered voters in Mombasa, the nine Mijikenda communities account for 233,000 votes.
The Kamba he said are second with 95,000 votes.
Omar said with their figures, the Kambas cannot be treated as an ethnic minority in Mombasa, urging them to seek elective positions.
"You are a majority. When you stand on yourself you equal the Giriama's 95,000 votes. You have families and businesses here in Mombasa. Vote for a leader who has your interest at heart.
"The Kambas should not be in opposition, at least we can begin with Mombasa," he said.
Omar said the community most of whom are concentrated in Chaani area of Changamwe constituency stand to benefit a lot from the William Ruto -led Kenya Kwanza government, when he returns port operations that were transferred to Nairobi and Naivasha back to Mombasa.
"Changamwe holds the logistics operations of Mombasa, it will be the first to benefit when port operations return to Mombasa," he said.
Tension is already brewing in the county after the electoral body announced that the Mombasa and Kakamega gubernatorial elections will be held on Monday.
Some of UDA and ODM supporters clashed in Changamwe on Thursday morning as former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko led a team to campaign for Omar.
"We have intelligence our opponents are planning to rig the election using violence. We have already informed the police to take action.
"The government is in our hands, we will not allow them to achieve that," Omar said.
He called on his supporters to be on the alert of those planning to bribe voters and report them to the police.
Sonko said they will not allow their votes to be stolen as he urged the community to rally behind Omar.
"They sent their goons to disrupt our meetings this morning, but tumepambana na wao. Hatutauziwa uoga," he said.
Sonko took a swipe at ODM leader Raila Odinga saying he was misleading Kenyans by calling for Chebukati to disqualify himself from conducting the Monday Kakamega and Mombasa governor elections.
On Wednesday, Raila pitched camp in Mombasa to campaign for the ODM candidate Abdulswamad Nassir.
He instead wanted the IEBC vice chairperson Julian Cherera to conduct the election since Chebukati is one of the accused in a presidential petition he has filed at the Supreme Court.
IEBC through its official Twitter account on Wednesday however said county elections were conducted by county returning officers and not Chebukati.
"We have faith in IEBC to conduct a free, fair and credible election just like they did during the general election," Sonko said.
Outgoing Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo also pleaded with the community to vote for Omar saying he had already convinced the Mijikenda bloc.
He said it is only through the Kenya Kwanza government under president-elect Ruto that the two communities stand to benefit from government.
Mbogo also said their opponents had sensed defeat that's why they called in Raila for reinforcement.
"It's too late for them, the seat is already gone. We have a date on Monday to end ODMism in Mombasa, let us complete this journey together," he said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)