Hassan Omar. [Photo/ The Star]
The departure of former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar from Wiper party and the NASA coalition is a huge blow to presidential candidate Raila Odinga, who has seen his key supporters quit to join Jubilee.While announcing the decision to challenge the election of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in court, Mr Omar accused Mr Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka of being tribal chiefs, who depend on handouts from politicians in their parties. “With a dime, you will buy this leadership,” Omar said of the NASA leaders.“I spent too much time trying to please ethnic chiefs but now I have the courage to stand alone,” he said, referring to Odinga and Musyoka’s political control of the Luo and Kamba respectively.As a fast-rising leader from the Coast region, Mr Omar was part of the reason why young people in the county followed the ODM leader. When the former human rights defender became interested in the Mombasa senatorial seat, he sought the ODM ticket, but was rigged out, in favor of a candidate that insiders say was preferred by party leader Raila Odinga. Omar joined Wiper and won the election.In the last general election, his party leader — Kalonzo Musyoka — failed to endorse for the seat, further fueling claims that the senator was a Jubilee mole in the coalition. This hurt Omar, who has now come out to expose the dirt in both Odinga and Musyoka’s parties. "Raila's politics of moles is a narrative to crush rivals and is based on a concept of poverty. Mombasa people should not accept this foolish politics,” he said, as quoted by The Standard. Omar said he and thousands of supporters will not vote for Odinga and Musyoka on the October 17 election, making the NASA coalition lose support in one of its few remaining strongholds — Coast. But it should be remembered that Omar’s appeal and influence go beyond the region. "I will not give him my vote because he (Raila) never supported me (in the governorship race) and neither did Kalonzo,” he said. Omar described the former vice president as a weak leader, who had failed to stop the Jubilee Party from winning seats in his home county and Ukambani region."My party leader (Kalonzo) has (elected) Jubilee leaders right in his bedroom so how can I be accused of not delivering when I am the only candidate who funded other candidates?" Omar asked.Former Wiper chairman David Musila, who was rigged out of the party Kitui gubernatorial ticket, has since joined Jubilee, vowing to preside his supporters to back the re-election of President Kenyatta. Tens of other leaders and hundreds of professionals from Ukambani have since promised to vote for the president because of his strong development agenda in their areas. His revelations expose the two NASA leaders as being untrustworthy and lacking royalty. This will make young people to reconsider their support for the two leaders.