Jomvu MP Bado Twalib at a past event. He recently decamped from Wiper to ODM ahead of the August polls. Photo/ barakafm.orgWith over 50,000 votes up for grabs, Jomvu Constituency is quickly growing in political stature and is expected to be one of the most hotly-contested constituencies in Mombasa County.Having been hived off from Changamwe constituency in the run to the 2013 elections, the political influence of the former area MP Ramadhan Kajembe is expected to shape the constituency's political terrain.He may have quit active politics but Kajembe who represented Changamwe for 15 years remains an influential figure in the county politics even as his sons make a plunge into politics.Badi Twalib, the current MP who was elected on a Wiper ticket in 2013 faced off with Seif Kajembe (Ramadhan Kajembe's son) and romped to a convincing win.After losing to Twalib, the young Kajembe called it quits and he will not be contesting for the seat in the August polls.The exit of one Kajembe ushered the entry of another, with Mwidani Kajembe throwing the hat into the ring and is ready to battle it out withTwalib who has since moved to ODM.Ironically, Mwidani Kajembe was Twalib's chief campaigner in 2013, campaigning against his own brother Seif Kajembe. And coincidentally, Badi Twalib is Ramadhan Kajembe's son-in-law and the young Kajembe's brother-in-law.Nzai Karisa, Jomvu MCA has also entered into the race to unseat Twalib who is seen as Governor Joho's protege, and having quit ODM amid fears that the party may favour the incumbent for the ticket, he has joined Jubilee Party.Dan Aloo is another entrant into the area politics that boasts of ethnic mix with considerably a good number of members of the Luo community living there.Seen as Nyali MP Hezron Awiti's 'project', Aloo is expected to use the lawmaker's influence in the area to bag the Luo votes.Whatever happens, the race for Jomvu parliamentary seat is a tough contest to call. But at the end of the day, Ramadhan Kajembe may prove to be a deciding factor in the constituency plagued by land issues.

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