Written By Ramadhan Kambi | |
As the clock ticks towards the August General Election, the issue of shared democracy in Kilifi pitting dominant tribes in the region for the top seat is expected to take center stage.
The word shared democracy in Kilifi has since 2013 used to determine who is going to be the Kilifi Governor, The Senator, and the Deputy Governor.
Since 2013, the Governor seat has been held by the incumbent Governor Amason Kingi who hails from Magarini, one of the large regions occupied by the Giriama tribe of the Mijikenda Sub tribes.
In the first regime, he was deputized by the late Kenneth Kamto from Rabai and is currently being deputized by Gideon Saburi who is also from Rabai.
The Chonyi subtribe has been the main dominator in the Senate seat, with the incumbent Stewart Madzayo still holding into the seat since 2013 following his reelection in 2017 under the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) ticket.
But in this election, this matrix might have some headwinds with the Chonyi and the Rabai Subtirives also lining their sons for the top seat.
In Chonyi subtribe, for example, there are two aspirants who have declared to go for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat.
Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani(JKP) CEO Emmanuel Nzai and businessman Dzombo Mbaru come from the Chonyi sub-tribes and both have declared their intention to go for the seat after the exit of Governor Kingi.
While Mr Nzai, the former Thirdway Alliance Aukur Aukot’ s running mate in 2017 has said that he will vie for the seat on a Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) ticket, Eng Mbaru has remained silent on the party he will use for the seat.
Recently Mr Nzai met with the Chonyi Council of elders who endorsed him for the top seat.
In Rabai, Eng Saburi is also going for the top seat, meaning that there is a big possibility of not having a Deputy Governor coming from Rabai this time.
The other gubernatorial aspirants in Kilifi are Gideon Mungaro, Aisha Jumwa, Jimmy Kahindi, Dan Kazungu and Baha Nguma. These five contestants are from the larger Giriama sub-tribe.
But with the entrance of lawyer George Kithi at the Senate Race has complicated the arithmetic for the Chonyis that have dominated the seat since devolution.
George Kithi or mostly referred to as GK comes from the Giriama community.
His highly charged campaigns that have so far stretched wide and long in Kilifi is expected to change the situation.
But apart from Senator Madzayo who is out to defend his seat in an ODM ticket, there is still the presence of Ben Kai from the Chonyi, Fikirini Jacobs and several other aspirants for the Senate seat out to give him a run for his money.
Whether “Shared Democracy” will work or not, time is of the major essence in these elections.
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