Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho with Tourism CS Najib Balala in the past. [Photo/Hassan Joho]
Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta started the process of crafting his new Cabinet that will steer the delivery of his 'Big Four' in his second and final term as President.
With staggering 13 current Cabinet Secretaries axed, Tourism CS Najib Balala survived the axe.
However, the decision to retain him may upset the Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho political camp.
Though he has not held any political office for over five years now, Balala, the former Mvita MP, remains the senior most politician in the Coast region.
The fact that Joho has elbowed him politically does not mean that he is finished in the game of politics.
With 2022 politics starting to take shape in earnest, the decision to retain Balala may have far-reaching political implications and Joho may be the first political victim of the scheme.
The firebrand Governor has declared his intention to vie for President in 2022 and is keen to use the Coast region as his political base to springboard his Presidential ambitions.
However, Balala, seen by many as Deputy President William Ruto's project, may be used to water down his political influence.
Balala and Ruto have a long political history dating back to the 2005 referendum.
And when Ruto rebelled against Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the run to the 2013 elections, the two bolted together out of ODM and became two main political pillars for President Uhuru Kenyatta.
As to whether Uhuru's decision to retain Balala in his cabinet is meant to secure his legacy vs 2022 succession race, Joho will have to rethink his political strategy lest he will limp to the battlefield, a move that may dim his burning Presidential ambitions.
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