Tourism CS Najib Balala and Jubilee politician Suleiman Shahbal addressing journalists in Mombasa. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
Despite publicly denying any fallout in the Jubilee camp in Mombasa, Tourism CS Najib Balala and former gubernatorial candidate Suleiman Shahbal are understood not to be in good terms.
The rivalry between the two politicians played out in front of Deputy President William Ruto last Friday when Shahbal was booed off the podium by a section of Jubilee supporters in Mombasa amid claims that the politician mismanaged President Uhuru Kenyatta's campaigns in the region.
It was then that Ruto made the decision to appoint Balala as Uhuru's chief campaigner in the region, replacing Shahbal who has been Jubilee's point man in the region.
According to The Star, sources indicate that Balala who was once Coast region’s political kingpin, is fearing for his Cabinet Secretary position which he feels might be taken over by Shahbal should Uhuru win the repeat presidential election and form the next government.
The insiders noted that Balala and Shahbal are both fighting for a Cabinet position.
"Those reports have been going round, but nobody has been able to ascertain the truth. That was discussed yesterday at a meeting,” a source close to Shahbal said as quoted by the daily.
Balala is Ruto's close ally with their close ties dating back to their days in ODM where the two were key members of the pentagon. Even after staging a revolt out of ODM, the two regrouped ahead of the 2013 elections.
If their friendship is anything to go by, then Ruto's move to replace Shahbal with Balala could be a move aimed at protecting the Tourism CS from Shahbal's growing popularity.