Ballot boxes at a polling station. [Photo/ dtmafrica.com]
Bruising political battles are expected to be fought in the Coast region during the August 8 elections as the region's political bigwigs face off for various elective seats.
The battle for Mombasa governor position will prove to be nothing short of a battle of the titans as incumbent Hassan Joho fights to defend his seat amid stiff competition.Senator Hassan Omar vying on a Wiper Party ticket is his main challenger in a race that has also attracted Jubilee's Suleiman Shahbal and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti.Still in Mombasa, the Nyali MP seat is proving to be a political hot potato as a record 15 aspirants will be flexing their muscles in the August 8 polls. However, the race is slowly shaping up into a two-horse race pitting ODM's Said Abdallah and former journalist Mohamed Ali.In the neighbouring Kwale County, former Matuga MP Chirau Ali Mwakwere (Wiper) will be hoping for a political comeback as he faces Governor Salim Mvurya who is defending his seat on a Jubilee party ticket. However, the threat posed by Dr Issa Chipera of ODM, the most popular party in the region, should not be ignored.Also in the race is Kwale County Assembly Speaker Sammy Ruwa who has a clout in the county politics.Political embers will flare in Kilifi, the region's most populous county, when incumbent, Governor Amason Kingi who hopes to extend his reign past 2017 faces off with his main nemesis Gideon Mung'aro of Jubilee Party.The two are the front runners for the seat. However, to further raise the political temperatures is the entry of former Kaloleni MP Kazungu Kambi.The mother of all battles will be in Taita Taveta County where Governor John Mruttu will be fighting for his political life as he faces his main opponent who edged him out in the ODM nominations, Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu.The entry of Senator Dan Mwazo of Jubilee into the race further throws the spanner into the works. Also, there is Jacinta Mwatela, a former banker who gave Mruttu a run for his money in 2013.