Sonko: I will join Joho, Nassir in Raila's Azimio rally in Mombasa
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko addresses journalists at Whitesands Beach Resort in Mombasa. Mr Sonko shifted his base to the coastal city.
A show down is looming this weekend at Mombasa’s Tononoka historic grounds this weekend as two key county gubernatorial aspirants under Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition meet for the first time.
The Wiper party governor aspirant Mike Sonko and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Mombasa county governor candidate Abdulswamad Nassir are expected to meet eye to eye for the first time this Saturday during the rally being hosted by ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Mr Sonko has already declared that he will use all his resources to campaign for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Mr Odinga to win the August 9 General Election.
“Let’s all meet at Azimio rally at Tononoka grounds this Saturday to show love to our presidential candidate who will be the next 5th President of Kenya,” said former Nairobi governor.
Mr Sonko, who officially joined Mombasa gubernatorial candidature last month said he will attend the meeting since any party under the coalition is free to campaign for Mr Odinga.
“As a governor contestant, I have branded my fleet with Mr Odinga’s messages and I am free to attend Tononoka rally to urge Mombasa people to vote for Mr Odinga,” he said.
The announcement by Mr Sonko comes at a time when Mr Odinga is leading ODM brigade in a four-day Coastal tour to drum up support of the party’s candidates.
Mr Odinga has been calling for six piece and he is expected to campaign for Mr Nassir who is a main rival to Sonko.
The Nairobi ex-governor has already received a hit from Mombasa ODM leaders led by incumbent governor Hassan Joho who have vowed not to allow Mr Sonko to succeed him saying there are able leaders to take over from him.
Mr Joho, who is accompanying Mr Raila in his visit this week said there is no way Mombasa residents will allow passers-by to come and take over their county, adding that he will use his resources to ensure Mr Nassir who has fronted him to succeed him wins with a bigger margin come August 8 General Election.
"Those who are coming in our county thinking there are no leaders and are campaigning to be county boss should know that Mombasa is not for sale and we are ready to take them head-on even if they come with millions of money," Joho said in the recent interview.
Mr Sonko on the other hand has remained defiant that he will continue with his ambition to be second Mombasa governor despite being regarded as ‘an outsider’ said he is a Kenyan from a region and he is not being barred by any law from contesting.
The former governor said he has mounted his campaign team in each village and that those who are opposing his entrance into the race, the fear him since he is capable of delivering what they have failed in the past ten years.
Mr Sonko is being fronted by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who is contesting to be nominated as Mr Odinga’s running mate to vie in Mombasa after he was impeached in Nairobi in December 2020.
In the recent polls released by Trends & Insights for Africa (Tifa) today revealed that Nassir is the most popular governor candidate in the vast coastal county.
In the poll results, Nassir has a following of 40 per cent followed by Sonko with 28 percent.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate for the same position Hassan Omar would take position three garnering only 9 per cent followed by Dr William Kingi who is Joho's deputy governor coming fourth with 1 per cent.
In the survey, a total of 22 per cent of the respondents are not decided on which party or candidate to support in the August 9 polls.
