After much speculation, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has settled on professor William Kazungu as his running mate.
Joho has defied expectation that he would go for county secretary Francis Thoya or education CEC Lewa Tendai, who are both from the Mijikenda community.
The two are also close allies of the vocal county chief who has been severely critical of President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration.
Sources privy to the matter, confirmed the Governor's choice, which comes months after DG Hazel Katana defected to Jubilee Party.
The source said Joho will officially unveil Kingi on Thursday.
Katana launched her bid for Mombasa Senator after abandoning ODM, saying the party led by Raila Odiga left her in the cold.
A group of Jubilee women leaders from different parts of the country, including Senators and MPs, welcomed her to the party.
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Kingi is a lecturer and the head of the school of business at
Mombasa Technical University. He is also the head of the
secretariat of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani.
The professor has a PhD from JKUAT and is said to have been in the real estate business.
Like Senator Hassan Omar (Wiper) who picked
Linda Shuma, 39, as his running mate, Joho went for double-community candidate.
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Kingi's father
comes from Galore in Malindi while his mother is from Taita.
Shuma was selected from a group of 21 women who had applied for the position.
She is an entrepreneur and founder of Silver Glitz Events which manages corporate and social events.
Shuma graduated from the USIU in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Administration and a minor in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Nyali MP Hezron Awiti, who decamped from Wiper to the Vibrant Democratic Party, picked Hassan Mwatoa, a banker, as his running mate.
The Luo politician
has been backed by some Kaya elders and is banking on votes from his community and the Mijikenda.
Jubilee Party aspirant Suleiman Shahbal, who came second in the 2013 general election, chose Ananiah Mwaboza.
