With the 2022 fast approaching, Deputy President William Ruto seems to be slowly losing his footinf in the vote-rich coast region.
In the run up to the 2017 polls and immediately after, the Jubilee Party managed to poach a good number of politicians from the opposition, a good number of whom are trekking back.
Topping the list is former Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shahbal who campaigned for Jubilee and even used the oarty ticket in his ambitions.
However, has joined the Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Amason Kingi (Kilifi) camp, as the two county bosses plan the next move for the coast region, a longtime opposition bedrock.
The governors, both from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), have announced plans to vie for the presidency and lock the DP out of the region in his 2022 presidential bid.
In Kilifi, MPs Owen Baya (Kilifi North) and Paul Katana (Kaloleni) have since returned to ODM after their initial endorsements of Ruto. However, he has support of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa.
In Kwale, Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza and Benjamin Tayari (Kinango) have also abandoned the DP, with Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori going silent after a warning from the ODM party earlier in the year.
The same is the case with Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala who says that he will make his declaration in 2021, with the DP not enjoying any notable support in Taita Taveta.