Deputy President William Ruto is a man on a mission to raid NASA leader Raila Odinga's key strongholds ahead of the 2022 political contest. And his sustained onslaught of Mombasa and Coast region is bearing fruits as key Raila lieutenants now dance to the DP's tune.
To reverse the gains made by the DP that might give him a precious headstart in the 2022 presidential race, Raila will have to react.
Since decamping to Jubilee in the run to the October 26 repeat presidential election and after losing in the Mombasa gubernatorial race, former Senator Hassan Omar has become a peripheral figure in the ruling party and his future there could be hanging on the balance.
Despite being Jubilee's biggest political catch at the time, Omar has become hugely isolated in his new home and he could be weighing his options going forward.
Even after being promised government job once Jubilee wins the election, eight months later, he is still languishing in the political cold.
So, can Raila take advantage of Omar's current situation in Jubilee and rope him to ODM with a promise to back his gubernatorial bid come 2022? Perhaps it can work magic.
The move will no doubt give ODM the much-needed fresh energy to counter Ruto's growing influence in the region considering that Omar is an astute politician in his own rights and his combination with Joho will water dawn the DP's recent gains.