Malindi MP Willy Mtengo during a past media briefing. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
Despite losing to Kilifi Women Representative Aisha Jumwa in the race for the ODM ticket to vie for the Malindi parliamentary seat, incumbent MP Willy Mtengo is optimistic that he will trounce his political nemesis in the August contest.Mtengo who has now opted to go to the ballot as an independent candidate maintains that the nomination exercise that saw Jumwa win was skewed in her favour."I didn't get fairness in the primaries. They were shambolic. They were ill-prepared. They were skewed towards my competitor," said Mtengo when he went for clearance at the Registrar of Political Parties.While expressing his optimism to defend his seat, Mtengo who came to parliament through a by-election in March 2016 said that unlike during the party nominations, the August poll will be a government affair where the will of the voters will prevail."I will retain my seat, I will beat my opponents hands down. Nominations was a party affair and the elections will be a government affair," he said.With the current developments, the race for the Malindi parliamentary seat is slowly shaping into a three-horse race pitting the incumbent, Aisha Jumwa and Philip Charo of Jubilee who lost to Mtengo in the 2016 by-election.