Back in June, Okoa Mombasa asked political aspirants to prioritize the protection of livelihoods and human rights in the Coast region with the launch of our 2022 Elections Demand Pledge (click here to see who has signed). The Pledge was created by Okoa Mombasa after a series of consultations with communities around Mombasa. It outlines key human rights issues that residents would like to see in aspirants’ political platforms.
During the election period, Okoa Mombasa also had the opportunity to do live interviews with a number of leading candidates for political office (these videos are available on our Facebook page and on YouTube). We asked candidates not only to sign our Election Pledge, but to explain in detail how they plan to implement the four key points that we highlighted: Championing inclusion for Mombasa, expanding public participation, building transparency and accountability, and protecting devolution.
Below, we’ve summarized these answers for three gubernatorial candidates (Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Dr. William Kazungu Kingi, and Hassan Omar) and one Senate candidate (Mohamed Faki). All four candidates signed the Okoa Mombasa Election Pledge, but had differing approaches to how they would implement the pledge commitments.
In the coming months, we will be tracking the performance of the winning candidates – and checking whether they stick to their commitments.
Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir (Gubernatorial candidate)
Economic Inclusion for Mombasa
- Commits to advocating for alternative transport methods such as water transport to ease congestion on roads.
- Commits to establishing a ramp system in areas inaccessible through water transport.
- Cooperate with financial institutions to ensure that county employees are paid on time even when the Exchequer delays disbursing the funds.
- He intends to seal corruption loopholes once elected governor banking on his tenure as PIC chairperson thus help the county offer better and affordable services to the people of Mombasa.
- Upgrade the dilapidated drainage and sewer system in the short term with bio-digester solutions and in the long term revamp the whole system.
- Set up special programs for women in the county to provide economic and skills building opportunities.
Public Participation
- Implement effective public participation strategies ensuring that Mombasa County residents and other stakeholders having a say in the running and operations of the county government.
- To involve CSO and human rights organizations in running and operations of county government.
Transparency and Accountability
- No specific undertaking – onus is on civil society to follow up the work he did at Public Investments Committee in Parliament.
Protecting Devolution
- Will undertake devolution of county services to village level through the creation of village administrators to ensure that county services can be accessed in the county and at ease.
- Will advocate for benefit-sharing of the proceeds of the Mombasa port where Mombasa County get a share of the profits revenue generated from the port operations.
William Kingi (Gubernatorial candidate)
Economic Inclusion for Mombasa
- Does not support rescinding cargo directives as in his view Government will be unable to pay SGR debt.
- His government will develop infrastructure in the remote areas in efforts to open up the county.
- He would consult with the relevant experts in redesigning of the transport sector to ensure that there is a free flow of traffic in the county and undertake to solve problems of various stakeholders in the transport sector including taxi, cyclists and matatus as well as pedestrians and passenger pick up points.
- Will implement various measures to ensure the full utilization of the blue economy in the county such as reclamation of grabbed land for fisherfolk landing sites, fish processing plants for value addition, refrigeration facilities, training and skills building for fisherfolk.
- Invest in education by providing government sponsorship for students in Mombasa, build technical and vocational training institutes and more ECD centers.
- Ensure at least 30% of government procurement to be done by special interest groups; Half of his cabinet will comprise of women; Capacity building and training for special interest groups; Set up of capital funds loan with small interest so that they can establish and promote their business.
Public Participation
- Work together with Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights organization for a collective effort in governance such as inclusion tender committees and monitoring and evaluation.
- Follow the law to the letter and prevent instances of improper employment and misuse of resources.
- Ensure public participation in all decisions carried out by his government.
- Localize further county services with all departments having a presence in all wards. He emphasizes that his unit of development will be at the ward level to ensure that people are able to get service at the lowest ward level to ensure that real public participation is done at the grassroots level and ensure that principles of devolution are observed.
Transparency And Accountability
- Believes that civil society should take up investigations ensure that private persons are not benefiting illegally from public resources.
- privatization of national assets would provide avenue for grabbing and corruption, due process should be followed.
Protecting Devolution
- Supports benefit sharing of natural resources by host counties in Kenya eg port being located in Mombasa, County ought to have a share in the profits generated considering that the operations of the port itself cause a strain on local resources like wear and tear on roads maintained by the county government.
- Localize further county services with all departments having a presence in all wards. He emphasizes that his unit of development will be at the ward level to ensure that people are able to get service at the lowest ward level to ensure that real public participation is done at the grassroots level and ensure that principles of devolution are observed.
Hassan Omar (Gubernatorial candidate)
Inclusion For Mombasa
- Supports rescinding the unlawful SGR cargo directives and returning port services.
- Commits to undertake strategies such as the SEZ and Blue Economic zones to diversify Mombasa’s economy in collaboration with national government as they are not county functions.
- Does not support privatisation of public assets
- Will increase employment for young people through the bottom-up model.
- Will increase participation and representation of women in political spheres in the administration of the county to half of the leadership positions beyond the prescribed 30% that should go to women and youth.
Public Participation
- Undertakes to ensure fairness, competitiveness, and transparency particularly in recruitment.
- CSOs should be oversight of the county government, but not involved in the politics of the county government.
Transparency and Accountability
- Although believes that SGR contracts should be made public, no commitment, rather CSOs should continue their push.
Protecting Devolution
- Supports benefit sharing for Mombasa County to ensure that people of Mombasa benefit from the revenue.
- Supports renaming of public infrastructure using county by-laws and not only uplift our local heroes but also to educate people on their impact and contribution to society.
Mohamed Faki (Candidate for Senate)
Inclusion For Mombasa
- Supports rescinding the unlawful SGR cargo directives and return of all port services to Mombasa
- Advocates for a reduction in the rates and taxes on businesses
- Open skies policy for international flights to Mombasa to improve the tourism business.
- Improve the Blue Economy, assist BMU with subsistence fishing where there was a limit for 5kg for fishing and remove barriers to subsistence fishing like imposition of taxes on fishers.
Public Participation
- Supports public participation as a tenet of devolution and citizens should be engaged in issues affecting them.
Transparency and Accountability
- Supports holding public officials who have violated right of access to information accountable for example through contempt of court proceedings.
Protecting Devolution
- Oversight committee in every ward to ensure that voices at the lowest ward level are heard and taken into account on matters concerning the county to ensure proper oversight.
- Supports ensuring local resources benefit Mombasa the same way other counties benefit from their natural resources. He intends to ensure Mombasa local resources remain with the county government such as the Marine Park, similar to Maasai Mara being under the county government of Narok.
