NASA leader Raila Odinga at a past event. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
As NASA leader Raila Odinga readies himself for the repeat presidential election slated for October 17, his support base in the Coast region is under ‘threat’.During the August 8 contest, Raila defeated President Uhuru Kenyatta in all the six Coast counties with his biggest margin of victory coming in Kilifi County where he managed to pull over 86 per cent of the total vote cast.However, with new political realignments taking shape, the former Prime Minister should brace himself for a tough contest as Uhuru is keen to better his tally.Raila's biggest challenge is to contain the influence of Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya who was overwhelmingly re-elected on a Jubilee Party ticket in a county that is considered an opposition turf.Many analysts believe that Mvurya's triumph will give the region new political impetus.Besides the influence of Mvurya, there is also Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani who survived the NASA wave to recapture his seat. And emboldened by this, Mwashetani will be Raila's nightmare in the constituency.Then there is former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar who despite losing his quest to oust Governor Hassan Joho remains an influential political figure in the Coast region. The former Senator has indicated that he will not support Raila Odinga in the repeat election and of course his absence will be felt.In the neighboring Kilifi County, there is the Kazungu Kambi factor. The former Kaloleni MP who lost in his bid to oust Governor Amason Kingi has vowed to campaign for President Uhuru Kenyatta. Together with former Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung'aro, they have vowed to deliver the region to Uhuru.With all these new developments, Raila will be forced to rethink his strategy if the ODM Party is to maintain dominance in the region.