Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Gideon Mung'aro on Saturday hugged ODM leader Raila Odinga several months after fallout.
For the longest time, Mr Mung'aro, formerly ODM legislator for Kilifi North, was Jubilee party's pointsman from the coast region, which predominantly supports Odinga.
His fallout with Odinga was precipitated by the fact that Mr Odinga supported Amason Kingi's re-election as governor for Kilifi.
On Saturday, the two embraced and were pictured having lengthy discussions as 2022 realignments take shape in the coastal region.
Mr Mung'aro has yet again expressed interest in the Kilifi gubernatorial seat. Conspicuously, he has been missing from DP William Ruto's coastal trips.
Mung'aro was ushered in by ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohamed, who also accompanied Mr Odinga to the coast for the burial of Ngumbao Jola.
Ngumbao was killed days to Ganda ward by-election. Mung'aro supported ODM candidate Reuben Katana, yet another indication that he could be shifting loyalty to his old party.
“Let us stop political division based on party, tribe or religion … it is time to build the nation,” Katana said after winning polls.
Alsha Jumwa, who supported a rival candidate, is also eyeing Kilifi gubernatorial seat. The loss in Ganda polls was deemed as a setback.
However, Ms Jumwa’s supporters claimed Mr Omar’s loss to Mr Katana — with a margin of 1,846 votes — was a result of her arrest and intimidation a day before the election.
Mr Juma Karisa, Ms Jumwa’s supporter in Malindi, said, “Jumwa battled alone, losing by only 1,846 votes, despite campaigns by ODM led by Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Governor Kingi and his deputy Kenneth Kamto, Mombasa Deputy Governor William Kingi, Mr Mtengo, Mr Charo, Mr Mung’aro and his team, and a group of about six Kilifi ODM legislators."