She was considered a rookie politician, a woman who cannot win a governor seat in the coastal region, where politics is male-dominated.
However, Fatuma Achani beat five men to become the first woman to be elected governor in the coastal region since the onset of devolved government a decade ago.
She had deputised former Kwale governor Salim Mvurya (the current Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary) for two terms before declaring interest in running for the seat.
Achani, who vied under the UDA party, garnered 59,674 votes to win the August 9, 2022, General Election, beating the second-most popular candidate, Hamadi Boga (ODM), with 6,0000 votes.
Boga had 53,972 votes, whereas Eng Lung’anzi Mangale Chai of Pamoja African Alliance had 47,639 votes, and former Matuga MP Ali Mwakwere had 9,639 votes.
The male politicians lost the race to Achani for forming three separate movements, a mistake they now want to correct, according to local political pundits.
Political re-alignments are being witnessed in Kwale, barely two years since the last election, with key leaders seeking allies to form movements that will assure them of victory.
Mwakwere, also nicknamed Zipapa (a big shark in the Digo language), is considered a veteran politician having served as a Cabinet Minister in former President Mwai Kibaki's government.
Recently, Mwakwere was installed as the Digo spokesperson during an event that was attended by the most vibrant opponents of Achani, including Boga, Lung'anzi, and former Lunga-Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani.
According to Prof Halimu Shauri, “an analysis of those who attended Mwakwere's ‘coronation’ paints a clear picture that the future of Kwale is already shaped.”
Shauri said the three names of Mwakwere, Boga and Lung’anzi are very significant in Kwale politics.
“Their coming together extrapolates a unity of consciousness, which may translate into a powerful and unbeatable outcome, the genuine ‘tolwa’,” he said.
‘Tolwa’ is the current slogan Achani uses, which means 'through pass or express'.
The slogan takes over from the famous ‘Hatuachani na Achani’ that was famous during election campaigns.
"If these politicians come together, as they have pulled together in the coronation of one of their own, then we may count more than 111,250 votes, nearly double the incumbent's in 2022. This means 2027 looks slippery for the incumbent. If you are smart, you will begin to choose the side to support going forward," Shauri said.
Shauri said the coming together of the three leaders has an impact which doesn't go well with the government in power.
"The collective force, holding all factors constant, is something that is causing politicians sleepless nights. While in public the leadership is talking of tolwa, in the boardroom they are painfully plucking hairs to launch a counter strategy that is difficult to craft due to a deficiency of capacity and strategic thought," he said.
Shauri said the coronation of Makwere gave a glimpse of a titanic battle in future and a possible team-up for some of the opponents.
He said the installation of the former transport minister as the Digo community spokesperson, has sparked a debate and gained the interest of many people in the county and the entire coastal region.
"Indeed, the coronation of Mwakwere, as the Digo de facto spokesperson has sent shockwaves. The impact is evident in the noise and the topical nature his coronation has become in every public meeting in Kwale," he said.
The political analyst added that other communities in Kwale and the coastal region were woken up by the coronation of Mwakwere and started initiating talks about coming up with their formations.
Kwale has three major communities: Digo, Duruma, and Akamba. Other tribes exist but in small numbers.
For a while, tribal politics played a key role in determining the Kwale gubernatorial seat; however, going by the happenings in recent years, things are seemingly changing.
In a past interview with the star, Mwakwere said the dynamics of Kwale politics have changed a lot.
He said nowadays, voters are educated and well-conversant with politics.
On her part, Achani has stood firm with Mvurya trooping the region from time to time to “put things in order and support the Tolwa movement.”
Recently, Mvurya called the Kwale leadership for a closed-door meeting with all elected and nominated leaders with the MCAs led by speaker Seth Kamanza at the Jacaranda Hotel in Ukunda.
However, it is not clear what the leaders spoke about, but sources indicate that Mvurya wants Kwale leaders to back Achani in 2027.
While addressing the media, Mvurya said the leaders have agreed to put aside their political differences and work together to serve the interests of the residents.
Mvurya said the engagement was focused on strengthening county and national relationships.
He also noted that the meeting was meant to address challenges affecting the region, resolutions and tapping into new opportunities to fast-track development.
At the moment, Achani has been able to bring all the Kwale ODM members to her team.
The leaders are Woman Representative Fatuma Masito, Senator Issa Boy, Ramisi MCA Hanifa Badi Mwajirani and nominated MCA Khadija Ngala among others, leaving Kwale with no strong opposition.
Boy, Masito, and Hanifa have openly announced their support for Achani to defend the governor seat in 2027.
The three are slowly becoming Achani allies since they rarely miss her meetings and work together.
"We have decided to work with Achani and put our political differences aside. Mama is fit and has all it takes to win again," the leaders have said in several political meetings.
Boy has been quoted as vowing to support Achani's political course in 2027.
During a bursary issuance event in Samburu, Achani sent a warning to those dreaming of unseating her in 2027, saying they should brace for a tough battle.
“They should stop daydreaming; do you think it will be easy to unseat me? They have a great task ahead," she said.
The governor said she was able to win against a male-dominated governor race while she was just a deputy governor, and it is now even impossible to unseat her because she is the governor.
