Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir at a past event. He has in the past four years become a key member of the ODM party and is expected to use the party's popularity to springboard his political ambitions.
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir's task ahead of the August polls has been reduced having been handed a direct nomination by Raila Odinga's ODM party.
However, the challenge ahead is even harder considering the political dynamics in the constituency that has in the past been at the heart of Mombasa politics.The constituency has produced some of the county's political bigwigs including former powerful Cabinet Minister and KANU stalwart Sharrif Nassir, the father to the current MP and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala.With ODM enjoying a huge following in the area, Nassir, who has in the past four years become a key member of the party in the Coast region is expected to use the party's popularity to springboard his political ambitions. And with the blessings of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, a defining political figure in the region, his re-election is almost guaranteed.With Jubilee not giving up in its bid to wrestle the control of the county from ODM, Mohamed Salim 'Tenge' is the front runner to clinch the party ticket. However, he will face Omar Shallo in the party primaries.Tenge has already hit the ground running mobilizing constituents to support his bid and has promised to turnaround the fortunes of the constituency that has a huge potential, with women and youth empowerment, education improvement and confronting the drug menace in the area being at the top of his priorities.Whatever happens, the Mvita MP battle will be an ODM and Jubilee party contest. And as to who will win remains a matter of a gambler has the choice as it will boil down to individual candidates' personalities.