Mombasa Women Rep aspirant Aisha Hussein and Jomvu MP Badi Twalib at a past event. [Photo/ tupo.co.ke]
The race for the Mombasa Women Representative seat is gaining unstoppable momentum as key contenders traverse the coastal city in search of votes.
With the incumbent Mishi Mboko forging a new political path, the race to succeed her is seen as a do-or-die affair as three leading contenders stand a chance to clinch the seat.Aisha Hussein of ODM is the favourite to win the seat having come short in 2013 when she lost to Mboko during the ODM nominations. She was later nominated by her party as a Member of Mombasa County Assembly.For Hussein, popularly known to her supporters as Mama Mlezi , political experience is her number one strength having worked for Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala during his tenure as Mvita MP before a fallout where she later joined Governor Hassan Joho's camp who was the then Kisauni MP.She has the incumbent's blessings and riding on the party popularity in the county, she stands a chance to inherit the seat from Mboko.Wiper's Zamzam Mohamed is another serious contender for the county seat who should not be ignored. She confirmed her strength when she trounced seasoned politician Afiya Rama during the party nominations to clinch the ticket.With a significant Wiper Party following in the county, the 39-year-old aspirant can stun many considering her experience in the game.Jubilee's Amina Abdalla is the most experienced of them all having been nominated twice as an MP in the National Assembly; from 2003-2007 and from 2008-2013.However, she may not realize her dream as she will have to fight the NASA wave in the region considering Jubilee's poor reception in the county which has been dancing to the tunes of ODM for the last 10 years.The race for the seat is an open contest. However, it may boil down to individual party popularity.