Mombasa billboard wars flairs up as candidates accuse the Governor Hassan Joho led administration of denying ODM opponents billboard space.
Former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti lashed out at Joho and the county for frustrating his efforts to put up his billboards ahead of the August general elections.
Awiti, now taking a second shot at the Mombasa gubernatorial seat with his Vibrant Democratic Party (VDP) is one of the seven gubernatorial candidates cleared to run by the IEBC.
“What we are seeing happening here in Mombasa is terrible, we are not allowed to put up our billboards in any part of the county,” said Awiti.
He was speaking during a meeting with various community members and a section of the business community in Mombasa at the Wild waters.
Awiti said that he has already written to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission concerning the issue but no response has come.
He said that he has also been denied access to public social halls within the county to conduct meetings with his supporters.
“We have been forced to meet with our supporters under mango trees to sell our agenda, this is totally unacceptable,” he said.
“Even private advertising firms have been threatened and asked to refuse us billboard space, if you walk around Mombasa you only see billboards of ODM candidates except for a few baring DP Ruto’s images.” Awiti said.
“We are not ordinary people, we are descendants of freedom fighters who managed to chase the colonial rulers and settled in Mombasa. We are here to stay, whoever feels like he cannot live with us should pack and leave,” Awiti said.
Awiti also asked the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga not to try to impose any leader on Mombasa people saying that the move might spoil his presidential votes in Mombasa.
He said that Raila has been his close friend since the times they fought together to end the KANU rule and the struggle for a new constitution that brought about devolution in 2010.
“We fought for freedom of choice so that people can elect their leaders of choice,” said Awiti.
He said that his VDP party agreed to support Raila’s presidential bid without any conditions, the reason why the party did not field a presidential candidate.
He however said that the party had filled candidates in all the remaining elective seats in the country and they were not turning back on that.
“Whoever thinks that Raila or Uhuru will come from Nairobi to come tell me to step down for them should stop day dreaming. I want to assure my supporters and Mombasa people at large that I will vie as governor, lets meet in the ballot box,” said Awiti.
He said that he was leading an economic revolution in Mombasa against a few individuals who have been benefiting at the detriment of Mombasa people.
He promised to end the discrimination in service delivery saying that his government will ensure all people living and working in Mombasa are served equally without being discriminated against tribe, race, color or religion.
The Mombasa business community led by Kikuyu Council of Elders chair Henry Wanyoike promised to rally behind Awiti gubernatorial candidature, saying they will vote for a leader who supports their businesses.
“We have gathered as communities from the diaspora to endorse Awiti as our gubernatorial candidates because of his credible leadership and have our interests in his heart,” Wanyoike said during a media briefing.
Wanyoike insisted on the importance of the diaspora community rallying behind Awiti in order to safeguard their interests in the county political arena.