Inside 2022 Kilifi governor’s race – Weekly Citizen

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa has already hit the ground running in effort to position herself for the Kilifi county governorship seat campaigns now three years away.
Governor Amason Kingi who will be going home after his two terms has remained mum about his preferred successor, leaving the contest wide open.

jumwa

In a similar fashion as William Ruto whom she has endorsed for the presidency in 2022, the Malindi legislator has been using church functions in the county as a platform to declare her bid and lob broadsides against her opponents.
Jumwa is also grooming potential aspirants for MCAs and MPs in all the seven constituencies in the county. The constituencies are Malindi, Kilifi North, Kilifi South, Magarini, Kaloleni, Rabai and Ganze.
In Malindi, the MP is said to have settled on Arnold Mkare, the Kilifi county secretary as her successor. In Ganze constituency, her person for MP is one Kingi popularly known as Lebanon who is a director of the Industrial Development Bank.

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro

Aisha’s man will battle it out with Kenneth Kazungu, the county roads chief officer who is being groomed by Governor Kingi to face MP Teddy Mwambire.
Mwambire and the governor have fallen out since the time of the MP’s election petition. The MP’s supporters claim had it not been for Mombasa governor Hassan Joho, the legislator would have lost his seat after Kingi reportedly refused to finance him.
In Kilifi North, Aisha is grooming Grain Bulk Handlers Limited employee Eliud Kalama. And in Kilifi South, she wants Ken Nyale to shelve his senator ambitions and contest the MP’s seat to deal with Ken Chonga who is opposed to her governorship bid. Chonga is a Joho man and at one time, accompanied the governor to pay a visit to retired president Daniel Moi at Kabarak.
In Rabai constituency whose MP is William Kamoti, Aisha’s person to take him on for the seat is Kenga Mupe.

Kamoti

However, there are fears Mupe is too close to the Mombasa governor and may eventually bolt out.
In Magarini constituency, the Malindi MP is dealing with former MP Harry Kombe and one Nguma, the Knut secretary. Area MP is Michael Kingi who is governor Kingi’s younger brother and who is also eyeing the governor seat to succeed his brother.

Madzayo

Analysts say that eventually, serious focus will be on Jumwa and Lands chief administrative secretary Gideon Mung’aro. Indeed, Jumwa’s main worry is Mung’aro who contested for the seat in the last general elections on a Jubilee party ticket.
The fear within Aisha’s political camp is that with ODM now co-operating with Jubilee under the handshake arrangement, Mung’aro is likely to be a beneficiary especially if Kingi decides to throw his weight behind him.
In 2013 general elections, Mung’aro played a major role for Kingi’s victory. At the time, Kingi was not well known in the county and Mung’aro is credited for having literally held his hand and introduced him to voters in all corners of Kilifi.
At the same time, it is claimed most of those who surround Kingi today and have benefited