President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar at a past event. The former Senator is among the front-runners for ministerial appointments in Uhuru’s new Cabinet. [Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/ facebook.com]
Following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold his October 26 presidential win, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s next task will be to craft a new cabinet that will steer his agenda for the next five years.However, with many August 8 poll losers in the Coast region looking for a soft landing, the manner in which Uhuru will handle all his sympathisers in the region will make or break him.In Mombasa, Jubilee did not win any seat, same as Kilifi, with the party winning some seats in Kwale, Taita Taveta, Tana River and Lamu.In the run to the October 26 poll, Uhuru managed to entice NASA affiliate parties’ losers to back his re-election with his biggest catch being former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and former Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu.With a section of leaders allied to Raila Odinga’s NASA coalition led by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi calling for the region’s secession over marginalisation claims, Uhuru will have to appease the region by awarding key government positions to Jubilee leaders in the region, lest they join the secession bandwagon.Some of the key leaders eyeing senior government appointments include; former MPs Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi North), Mustafa Iddi (Kilifi South), and Gonzi Rai (Kinango).Others include former Women Reps Joyce Lay (Taita Taveta), Zainabu Chidzuga (Kwale), former Ganze MP Peter Shehe, former Nominated MP Amina Abdalla, former Tana River Governor Dhado Godana, former Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima and Mombasa politician Suleiman Shahbal.To further complicate Uhuru’s math in the region is the question of Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and his Mining counterpart Dan Kazungu. Should he retain them in his new Cabinet? If yes, which positions will August 8 poll losers occupy?