President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA flagbearer Raila Odinga are locked in a tight race for the Coast region votes. [Photo/ standardmedia.co.ke]
With over 1.7 million votes up for grabs in the six counties at the Coast region, the race for those numbers is proving to be a bruising battle between the NASA coalition and Jubilee Party.
Opposition, and in particular Raila Odinga's ODM, has reigned the region politically for the last 10 years. However, Jubilee is keen to rewrite the script in the upcoming election.As the August 8 polls inch closer, the emotive land issue and alleged extrajudicial killings are the two main issues that may settle the contest.Raila has consistently accused the current Jubilee regime of doing little to address the thorny land issues that have bedeviled the region for decades. However, President Uhuru Kenyatta has always told off the opposition chief saying whereas he (Raila) did nothing about the issue during his tenure as Prime Minister, the Jubilee administration is working on addressing the issue.President Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto have issued some title deeds to residents in all the six counties, with a promise to issue more should they be re-elected.On the issue of extra-judicial killings, Raila in his recent tour of the Coast reignited the debate claiming that hundreds of local youth and Muslim leaders have been killed during Jubilee's four-year tenure.His claim was backed by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.But in a quick re-battle, Mombasa governor hopeful Suleiman Shahbal told off the NASA leadership, and accused them of stocking religious tensions.As to whether the two contentious issues will win the hearts of the residents remains to be seen as the game has just started.