Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima at a past event. The lawmaker is expected to face familiar foes in the 2017 elections in his bid for a third uninterrupted term in office. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
The Likoni MP seat will be one of the most hotly contested seats in Mombasa in the August polls.
The race will be a rematch of the 2013 contest. However, it has been spiced up with two new entrants.The incumbent, MP Masoud Mwahima will be hoping to continue dominating the area politics for another five years having already been in parliament for two uninterrupted terms. However, he is facing an uphill task in the wake of a looming political showdown.While vying on an ODM ticket in 2013, Mwahima romped into a comfortable win after garnering 18,258 votes against his long term rival Suleiman Shakombo of URP who came a distant second with 7,009 votes.Bernard Odhiambo of TIP TIP polled 6,325 while Khamis Domoko got just 2,544 votes.All the four candidates have thrown the hat into the ring ready to battle again in 2017. However, they have all switched parties.Mwahima is vying on a Jubilee ticket while Shakombo has switched to Wiper.On the other hand, Odhiambo has decamped to Mudavadi’s ANC with Domoko going as an independent after losing in the ODM nominations.Mombasa Women Representative Mishi Mboko is one of the new entrants into the race as she will be seeking to send Mwahima into political oblivion.Mboko is vying on an ODM ticket.Another new entrant is businessman Ali Kitoko who is vying as an independent candidate in what further complicates the incumbent’s political headache as all but one of the six candidates are from the Mijikenda community.