By BRIAN OTIENO
Somali community Coast chair Mohamed Hurre (right) leads community members in endorsing Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar for the governor seat at Lohar Hall in Mvita in Mombasa on July 15, 2017. /BRIAN OTIENO
Members of the Somali community have denounced a section of the community members who met with and endorsed Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.
Led by the community’s Coast chairman Mohamed Hurre, they said they are firmly behind Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar as their preferred candidate for the governor seat.
“We have decided to support Senator Sarai because he is honest, educated and has leadership qualities, and believes in equal rights for all,” said Hurre.
This came after other community members living in Mombasa had breakfast with Joho at a hotel in Mombasa on Monday.
Joho then posted on his social media accounts that they community had endorsed him for a second term.
“During the breakfast meeting we exchanged ideas on the progress we have made this far and what we need to improve in the next five years,” Joho posted on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
“The leaders agreed to support my bid for a second term to cement the foundation we have built towards a more prosperous county while accommodating aspirations and expectations of all residents,” he posted.
But at a separate press conference in the afternoon, Hurre and community secretary general Mohamed Arale said those who met Joho were county employees and contractors who are doing business with the Mombasa county government.
The community had on Saturday also held a meeting where they declared support for Omar.
Omar, who was at the meeting and was declared a Somali elder, said he does not take their support and that of the entire Mombasa community for granted.
“I am certain that the silent revolution will replace the current government on August 8, 2017.
I affirm that I will reorganize the county government and transform the county,” said Omar.
On Monday, Arale said in every society, there must be one or two dissidents.
“It is obvious, there will be self-interest at play. The Somali has one structure of leadership. We are the legitimate officials. Any others will be sideshows,” said Arale.
Arale said they have engaged Joho and Jubilee’s governor candidate Suleiman Shahbal for the last six months and have decided to settle on Omar because his manifesto has impressed the most.
He said they have the blessings of the Somali Council of Elders and have been consulting frequently on who to support for the governor position.
Community spokesman Osman Mohamed said Omar has been accepted by the majority of the Somali people living in Mombasa.
“Sarai is acceptable to the masses and the people of Somali. The choice of the people is Sarai,” Mohamed said.
Hurre said they have probed all of the four governor candidates in Mombasa including Nyali MP Hezron Awiti and have settled on Omar because of his policies and structured approach to issues.
Community organising secretary Abdulnassir Ibrahim said Omar has three main sectors in his manifesto that he wants to tackle.
“These are health, education and management of the town. Politicians who have many issues in their manifestos are liars. They will not implement most of them. It is better to focus on a few main things and implement them fully,” said Ibrahim.
Source: The Star
