THE battle between Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung'aro and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has resurfaced and both are chest-thumping they can command the Coast's three million votes.
Joho, the ODM deputy party leader, is warning Mung'aro his plan to ditch ODM before the 2017 general elections will damage him politically, as the Orange Party is still strong.
Speaking separately during a political programme on K24 on Sunday, each expressed confidence he would carry the day in the forthcoming polls.
"The point we are driving home is that the time has come for Coast leaders to chart their own destiny without other politicians from outside coming and dictating terms to us, though they don't know the magnitude of the problems we are facing here," Mung'aro said.
He made it clear the Coast needs its own political party to resolve the region's perennial problems of landlessness, land disputes and unemployment, among other issues.
Joho says ODM is best placed to tackle the issues and help residents.
"We cannot talk of solving the problems our people are facing by forming small regional parties that lack a national outlook. We are headed nowhere should we take that course," Joho said.
Mung'aro fell out with the ODM leadership after he was de-whipped as National Assembly minority chief whip in July last year. He was replaced by Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu.
"There are leaders who believed they were so popular
they could go it alone in the last elections and they were bundled out of leadership,” Joho said on the programme on Sunday.
“I need not to mention their names, but I warn those intending to do so to be careful because ODM is more popular at the grassroots than ever," he said.
Mung'aro, who blamed his removal on his close ties with President Uhuru Kenyatta, said it is unfortunate Cord leader Raila Odinga is punishing pro-government legislators for leaning towards the ruling coalition.
"Why should someone see us as traitors whenever we go to the government to get whatever we have desired for decades? Raila hosted President Uhuru in Kisumu recently when he went there to launch an NYS programme. And for him it was right, but it is wrong for us to do so," Mung'aro said.
Joho played a key role in the last general elections, with the Orange party bagging 90 per cent of the region's elective posts.
Mung'aro, who has declared interest in the Kilifi county governor's job, at this time has the support of Kwale county and other regions. He has the backing of several MPs who supported him at the time of his removal.
"We want to try something different to solve our problems because ODM was given the Lands ministry during the grand coalition government and nothing happened. So why should we go the same way?" Mung'aro asked.
Ends...