Former Garsen MP Danson Mungatana at a past event. He is facing an uphill task in the Tana River gubernatorial race. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
In his second stab at the Tana River governor position, former Garsen MP Danson Mungatana is facing an uphill task to dislodge the incumbent Hussein Dado given the county's political dynamics.
Tana River County is known for its negotiated democracy and as always, voting along ethnic lines will determine the county's next chief come August.Banking on his Pokomo political backyard to eclipse his rivals, Mungatana is confronted with another challenge as he will battle for the community's votes with ODM's Dhado Godana.Godana is seen to be more politically strong compared to Mungatana.In 2013, the Pokomo's tyranny of numbers narrative was dealt a blow as Orma and Wardei forged an alliance that swept all the parliamentary seats, including the governor position.Governor Dado is an Orma while his deputy Jire Siyat is from the Wardei community and the two have remained united ahead of the August polls.On the other hand, Tana River County Assembly Speaker Dr Abdi Nuh has been endorsed by Wardei elders for the top county position.Dado who ditched Wiper Party for Jubilee has made a comeback having lost popularity amid accusations by his rivals that he was running down the country by enganging in corruption. His move dealt Mungatana a major blow in his quest to reinvent his political career.Mungatana, who briefly joined NASA before making a u-turn, will have to look for a winning formula to win the battle starting from his own Pokomo backyard.Though Christian Pokomos have dominated the county politics since independence, their Muslims counterparts may rewrite the script in 2017.