Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo at a past event. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo must mount spirited campaigns across the expansive county to tame the growing influence of Kennedy Nyale, a political debutante.
Madzayo is among the loyal ODM members whose loyalty did not go unnoticed as the party gave them direct nomination certificates to defend their seats. However, despite bagging the certificate without sweating, the task ahead is even harder.Nyale who stayed briefly in ODM before jumping ship to join Jubilee amid fears that the party was going to shortchange him during the nominations has now grown into a real political force.The youthful politician who is known for his mobilization skills is keen to change the political tide in the county and bring to an end over one decade of ODM’s monopoly.With Kilifi County having been on the spotlight before for all the wrong reasons, Nyale believes that the Senator who is supposed to provide oversight has failed in his mandate.Buoyed by his financial muscle and the vigor to campaign, Nyale has traversed all the seven sub-counties pitching for his election at the expense of Madzayo, a former Judge.However, for the incumbent, he will ride on the ODM wave that is sweeping across the county to earn fresh mandate. Besides that, he already enjoys the support of firebrand Women Representative Aisha Jumwa who will prove to be an asset to him.But even as the two bitter rivals ready themselves for a ferocious political contest, the voters will have the final say.