Mombasa governor Hassan Joho has hinted that he might vie for a parliamentary seat after his second term as a governor expires in 2022.
For months, there has been speculation regarding Joho’s next political move after he appeared to shelve his presidential ambitions.
Speaking during a recent interview, Joho stated that he will choose from one of the six constituencies in Mombasa.
He said he had not shelved his ambitions to run for the presidency, but that he was open to the option of running for a parliamentary seat to make him eligible for appointment to the Cabinet.
“I have declared my candidature for the presidency. In politics, people talk and some have to sacrifice their ambitions. And at that point what needs to be done must be done,” he said during an interview on Citizen TV.
He added: “I’ve laid ground as the governor of Mombasa and I think I can vie in any constituency and win. Tell some of your friends that they will see dust.”
The ODM deputy party leader added that negotiations were underway to unite Coast leaders in a bid to forge a united front ahead of 2022 political negotiations.
“In Coast, our plan is 90 percent complete. We may have different political views and ideologies but we have a goal as a people,” he said.
This comes after the December 15 Msambweni by-election which the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) candidate Omar Boga lost to independent candidate Feisal Bader.
ODM’s loss in the by-election has sparked debate at the Coast, with allies of Deputy President William Ruto hailing it as a sign of Joho’s and ODM’s waning popularity in the region.
