Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka (Photo/ nation.co.ke)
The exit of Hassan Omar as Wiper Secretary General left Kalonzo Musyoka with an uphill task in his bid to rival ODM leader Raila Odinga for political space in vote-rich Mombasa County.
The former Mombasa senato was the face of Wiper Party in the entire Coast region which ODM has dominated for over one decade. But a new Kalonzo man has emerged and to many, he is the future of the party in Mombasa.
Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo is the man the Wiper Party is looking up to spearhead it's onslaught of the region in readiness for 2022 election. The fact that he overcame the ODM wave in Mombasa and became the only Wiper elected MP in the entire Coast region shows that the lawmaker is equal to the task.
Kisauni is the at the heart of Mombasa politics and winning a seat there requires political and financial muscle. But for Mbogo, with no political godfather, he clinched the seat with a huge margin, sending home the incumbent Rashid Bedzimba who was backed by Governor Hassan Joho.
Before the Kalonzo-led party settled on former Nominated Senator Judith Sijeny to replace Omar as Secretary General, many had expected that Mbogo would be his likely replacement. Though he was not picked, the lawmaker remains a key Kalonzo political asset. And to prove his trust for the youthful politician, on Sunday, during people's assembly meeting in Mombasa, Kalonzo publicly asked all those who have filed petitions against Wiper elected leaders to withdraw them.
Whatever political direction Kalonzo may take in 2022, Mbogo is one political asset he cannot afford to lose.