Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu during a past media briefing. He will be defending his seat on a an ODM Party ticket. Photo/ nation.co.ke
The battle lines have been drawn ahead of the epic Taita Taveta County gubernatorial battle as the two top politicians in the county square it out for the county's top seat.Just days after switching allegiance to Jubilee, Senator Dan Mwazo is staging a mutiny against his former ODM colleague and incumbent Governor John Mruttu.The race which is also expected to thrust the Taita Taveta politics into the national pedestal in a region that has been dominated by Mombasa, will also serve as an acid test to Jubilee Party which has of late been making significant inroads in the county that overwhelmingly voted for Raila Odinga in 2013.With over 100,000 votes up for grabs, the county's four constituencies will play a key role in determining who carries the day in August.Theoretically, Mruttu has an upper hand to defend the seat if party politics is anything to go, considering that out of the four constituencies, three are under ODM MPs.However, if the latest defection wave in the county is factored in, then the incumbent has a reason to go back to the drawing board.Despite the fact that her constituency of Taveta has the least number of registered voters, Dr Naomi Shabaan is a veteran in the county politics and Jubilee will bank on her popularity to advance their political interests there.With over 35,000 registered voters, Voi Constituency will prove to be where seats will be won and lost. But for Mruttu, his right-hand man Jones Mwagogo is under the control of the constituency despite his dwindling popularity among his own people.As the August polls draws closer, the battle for Taita Taveta is proving to be titanic and the next five months of intense campaigns will determine the winner.