Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho have many things in common.
For instance, both are populist leaders and they have had their academic qualifications questioned before.
However, two years ago the two found themselves on the opposing sides when Joho confronted Waititu in Malindi over voter bribery claims demanding that he be detained in police cells.
This was during the March 2016 Malindi Constituency by-election where the race was mainly between ODM's Willy Mtengo and Jubilee's Philip Charo.
The seat had fallen vacant following the appointment of the then area MP Dan Kazungu as Mining CS who is now Kenya's High Commission to Dar es Salaam.
Joho confronted Waititu (then Kabete MP) at Malindi Police Station where he had been held. Waititu had been arrested at Central Primary School polling station in Malindi town after some ODM party agents accused him of suspicious activities.
He was taken to the police station and later released on a free bond after a brief interrogation where he denied the claims of voter bribery.
However, Cord politicians led by Joho could hear none of it which made them storm the station demanding that Waititu be detained immediately.
The exchange between the two is said to have been so heated that they almost exchanged blows at the station.
Waititu who was clearly outnumbered by the Cord brigade, nevertheless, maintained he was innocent telling Joho that he had not even stepped his feet in Malindi.
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