Coast leaders allied to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have drawn battle lines with their Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) counterparts, rejecting any attempts at political zoning in Mombasa ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during the finalisation of the UDA Coast tour, the leaders, led by Secretary General Hassan Omar Sarai, dismissed zoning as undemocratic and warned against any efforts to predetermine electoral outcomes through political arrangements.
Sarai appeared to directly target ODM, which is part of the broad-based government, questioning why some leaders were pushing for what he termed as “favored seats” instead of facing voters.
“Why do you want a favored seat? Why do you want to be fronted without going through the hands of the citizens, who have the democratic mandate to choose their leaders?” he posed.
He made it clear that while UDA would rally behind the re-election of President William Samoei Ruto, all other elective positions would be open for competition.
“The only seat we will jointly campaign for is the presidency. The rest must be contested fairly,” he said.
The remarks signal growing friction within the broad-based political arrangement, with UDA leaders at the Coast pushing back against perceived attempts by ODM to ring-fence seats in its traditional strongholds.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy backed Sarai’s position, dismissing zoning as unrealistic and insisting that all aspirants should be free to compete for UDA tickets.
“These matters of zoning are daydreams. There is no zoning during the day or at night. Anyone who wants to vie through a UDA ticket, from Governor to MCA, should not be afraid, come out and compete,” Timamy said.
Kenya Roads Board Chair Aisha Jumwa also challenged leaders advocating for zoning, urging them to focus instead on mobilising support for President Ruto.
“If this Coast is your stronghold, why are you afraid of competition?” she posed.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the party is focused on strengthening its grassroots structures across the region, noting that UDA will field candidates for all elective seats.
“Because we are a big party, we will have candidates for every seat from MCA to President,” Mvurya said, urging members to participate in grassroots elections.
The leaders, who have been holding consultative meetings across coastal counties, said their stand against zoning is aimed at safeguarding internal democracy, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring competitive elections.
They warned that zoning could stifle competition, limit voter choice, and entrench political entitlement.
“As UDA, anyone who wants to vie for a seat in our strongholds is welcome. We will not allow zoning,” Sarai said.
