This archive report was first published on 19 August 2020.
As the 2022 general election fever grips Kaloleni constituency in Kilifi county, several aspirants are plotting to dethrone incumbent MP Paul Katana of ODM. Katana, who has a working relationship with Deputy President William Ruto, is among Coast MPs targeted by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.
According to sources, Joho is eager to consolidate the region's politics and votes, using Coast as his baseline to negotiate for higher political office at the national table. As such, he sees Katana and other Coast MPs as political spoilers who are out to give Ruto a foothold in Coast politics.
However, Joho's strategy to destabilize Katana appears to be failing. He reportedly used businessman Kitsao Jogolo and former area MP Gunga Mwinga to undermine Katana's leadership in Kaloleni. But Kitsao is largely unknown in the constituency, and former MP Mwinga is yet to mend fences with the electorate.
Residents are questioning Mwinga's whereabouts, citing an audit report that highlighted the disappearance of Sh50 million from the CDF kitty. They also want to know why Mwinga used to issue bursaries of only Sh2,000, while the present leadership is giving Sh5,000.
After intelligence reports indicated that Mwinga and Kitsao could not easily wrestle the seat from Katana, proxies of Joho approached former MP Kazungu Kambi to contest the seat on ODM. However, sources say Kambi has turned down the offer, citing his focus on becoming Kilifi governor upon completion of his term at the National Land Commission.
Despite the challenges, Katana's main political strength lies in his achievements in education matters and project implementation. He is also working closely with national government officials, a move that has strengthened his grip on the constituency.
