Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho at a past event. [Photo: Hassan Joho/ facebook.com]
A fierce political battle is looming in Mombasa as the county's political bigwigs face off in the gubernatorial contest that is proving to be nothing but a titanic battle.
Incumbent Governor Hassan Joho is facing three formidable opponents who have often accused his leadership of failing to deliver on the pledges he made four years ago.However, Joho remains the favourite to clinch the seat with many recent opinion polls placing him way ahead of Jubilee candidate Suleiman Shahbal and Wiper's Senator Hassan Omar.The firebrand Governor is banking on various factors to springboard his re-election bid.First, Joho is the main ODM figure in the region that is quite receptive to opposition politics. And in the opposition NASA coalition, Joho is seen to represent the interests of the region.Secondly, Jubilee's unpopularity in the county rules out Suleiman Shahbal who lost to Joho in 2013. Shahbal vied in the last election as a Wiper Party candidate.Thirdly, Hassan Omar is not very popular on the ground as ODM politicians in the county have consistently labelled the Senator a Jubilee 'mole'. Finally, President Uhuru Kenyatta's constant attacks on Joho have seen him gain massive political mileage and the outspoken Governor is now operating in a different league, the 'big boys' league.