President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, December 10, met with ODM Msambweni MP aspirant Omar Idd Boga during his tour of Mombasa.
The meeting took place at State House Mombasa with ODM Deputy Party Leader and the area Governor Hassan Joho also present.
Also in attendance was Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia, as the four proceeded to inaugurate the 1.2-kilometre Liwatoni Pedestrian Floating Bridge.
The meeting in State House has widely been regarded as an endorsement by the President, with his party, Jubilee failing to field a candidate.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta today hosted our candidate Omar Idd Boga at State House Mombasa. He was accompanied by our DPL (Deputy Party Leader) Hassan Joho,” read a statement from ODM.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) set Monday, December 15, as the election date after it was postponed back in April due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have been camping in Msambweni to drum up support for Independent candidate Feisal Bader ahead of the by-election.
Ruto’s allies have campaigned for Bader led by former senators Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Hassan Omar (Mombasa) and Johnstone Muthama (Machakos).
According to Tifa Research poll conducted in Msambweni, Omar Boga is the candidate of choice ahead of the by-election by 54% while Feisal Bader comes second with 29%.
Independent candidate Sharlet Akinyi who had decamped to Jubilee withdrew from the Msambweni parliamentary race to back Boga.
The Msambweni by-election has acted as a political acid test for Joho and Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya.
The two have openly clashed in a number of political rallies.
The by-elections was prompted by MP Suleiman Dori’s death on Monday, March 9.
