Kwale county speaker Sammy Ruwa has announced that he is joining the race to succeed Kwale governor Salim Mvurya in 2022.
Speaking to journalists in Kwale town on Thursday, Ruwa urged residents to back his bid so as to advance the projects started by governor Mvurya.
This announcement comes amidst heightened tensions between Mvurya and the county assembly.
Mvurya was supposed to appear before the assembly to answer queries on the allocation of s 160 million which was meant to fund a relief kitty for residents affected by COVID-19.
However, the governor did not appear but instead requested members of the assembly to give him ample time to prepare himself to answer some of the questions.
A section of residents have accused Ruwa of hatching a plot of impeaching the governor.
However, Ruwa has insisted that he is not sponsoring such a motion arguing that it is the MCAs with the mandate to impeach a governor and not him.
“I don’t contribute anything in the assembly. Whatever the ward reps agree is what I file,” he said.
Mvurya has in past functions openly supported his deputy Fatuma Achani saying he was best suited to succeed him.
Other leaders who have expressed interest in the seat include Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani who has been campaigning under the hashtag #0022022.
Ruwa’s announcement comes just a day after his Mombasa counterpart businessman Suleiman Shabhal expressed his interest to succeed Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho.
Speaking after launching an examinations revision portal in Sparki primary school in Mvita sub-county, Shabhal who has launched several philanthropic projects since the COVID-19 pandemic started said that he respected has a sitting governor and we must support him,
“I will be in that race with the support of Mombasa people. However, we are in 2020 and this is not the time for politicking,” he said.
