LAMU EAST

HON. ABU MOAHMED CHIABA, MP (Narc-K)
Assistant Minister, Ministry of Fisheries


Immediate former MP: Hon. Mohamed Hashim Fumo,
Assistant Minister, (Ministry of Local Government).

Other notable politicians who served in the area includes, Mzamil Omar Mzamil and Abubaker Habib Madhubuti, both of them now deceased.

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Alliance is doomed to fail, says MP

By NGUMBAO KITHI
SUNDAY NATION
Published September, 1, 2002

The Rainbow Alliance will soon disintegrate as its leaders will never agree on who among them should take on President Moi's preferred Kanu nominee, Local Government minister Uhuru Kenyatta, the Lamu East MP says.
Mr Mohamed Hashim Fumo said: "Prof George Saitoti, Mr Musalia Mudavadi, Mr Raila Odinga and Mr Kalonzo Musyoka will never be able to agree among them on who should take on Uhuru."
The MP said that chapter 6 of the Kanu constitution mandates the chairman (President Moi) to give the party direction on important issues. "Therefore, his proposal of Uhuru as the Kanu presidential nominee is within his powers."
Mr Fumo, an assistant minister for Local Government, accused the Rainbow Alliance of dishonesty and hypocrisy.
"None of them lifted a finger when the voting by acclamation took place at Kasarani during the Kanu-NDP merger on March 18. They accepted the people's verdict and came out to complain later," the assistant minister added.
The party, Mr Fumo warned, would "not bow to pressure from the Rainbow Alliance to vote by secret ballot at Kasarani".
The resignation of assistant minister Mathews Adams Karauri and his defection to Ford People, Mr Fumo said, did not affect Kanu's strength. Mr Fumo challenged all members of the Rainbow Alliance to resign.

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PRE-2002 ELECTION ANALYSIS

WILL TSS CALL THE SHOTS AGAIN?

By FRED OLUOCH
DAILY NATION
Monday, April 8, 2002

The overriding question in Lamu District is whether the gripping influence of powerbroker Twahir Sheikh Said, commonly known as TSS, will work in favour or against the political interests of Kanu.
A business tycoon with wide-ranging interests in virtually the entire coastal region, TSS has for a long time been calling the shots in Lamu, where his preferred slate of candidates are normally assured of winning.
In the last election, the winners, assistant minister for local government Mohammed Hashim Salim Fumo (Lamu East) and Mr Fahim Yasin Twaha (Lamu West), benefited immensely from his backing. The duo are still enjoying his support and are careful not to rub him the wrong way despite growing criticisms that they lack courage to stand on their own feet.In separate interviews last week, both Mr Fumo and Mr Twaha, who is also TSS's son-in-law, conceded that the support is going to be crucial in their re-election bid, but insisted they had "matured" politically.

Thus indications are that things might go TSS's way in the absence of a strong candidate to challenge his firm grip on Lamu politics. Already, there is a growing resentment among other aspirants over what they perceive as TSS's belief that nothing can happen in Lamu district without his authority.

Notably, a number of aspirants in Kanu who had earlier shown interest are backing out, aware that the party tickets will go to TSS candidates. As a result, Opposition parties with some presence in the district, such as the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), Ford-People and, of late, the unregistered Saba Saba Asili, are hoping for a major fallout during the Kanu primaries.Lamu, unlike the neighbouring districts, has always been placid, with political consciousness and activism quite low. When not grappling with the myriad of problems facing the district, residents are more concerned with day-to-day survival. Most MPs have usually had a quiet tenure until polls draw near.

This time round, however, political temperatures are likely to rise in the district that encompasses a group of islands – Pate, Manda and Lamu – over the presence of a large settler community from upcountry, who are seen to be enjoying better facilities at the expense of locals.In the spotlight is the Kikuyu community at Lake Kenyatta Settlement Scheme in Mpeketoni Division, Lamu West constituency, who constitute a huge voting block.Settlers enjoying better facilities The indigenous population complains that the settlers enjoy facilities such as piped water and health facilities. To top it all, they possess the precious title deeds while the indigenes have been fighting for the same without success. Other settlement schemes include Hindi, Witu and Mhamarani.The main ethnic groups in Lamu district are the Bajuni (the majority), Boni, Orma, Pokomo, Sanye, Giriama, Barawa and Bohra community – who trace their roots to the Indian sub-continent. Ethnic tension aside, the dilapidated Garsen-Witu Road that is the lifeline of Lamu district will be a major campaign issue, with the Opposition hoping to take Kanu head-on over it. The road is yet to recover from damage inflicted by the 1997/98 El-Nino rains and is often impassable during rainy seasons as the River Tana breaks its banks and cuts off large sections, especially at Gamba.

Both Kanu and the Opposition will also have to content with the fact that virtually all income generating activities in the district, ranging from fishing to tourism, have experienced steady decline in recent years. Hard hitting is a slump in tourism, the lifeblood of the economy. It does not help matters that the Government is yet to lift a ban on large-scale harvesting of mangrove trees for export, an activity that was the livelihood of thousands of residents.

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TACKLING BASIC NEEDS THE KEY TO WINNING SEAT

By FRED OLUOCH
DAILY NATION
Monday, April 8, 2002

Come election time and the burning question of land ownership, difficulties facing fishermen, lack of fresh drinking water and perennial raids by bandits will be the main issues in far-flung Lamu East constituency.
They are what MP Mohammed Hashim Salim Fumo, who won the seat for the first time in 1997, will have to grapple with. Mr Fumo is an assistant minister for local government. In 1992, he unsuccessfully contested the seat on a Ford Kenya ticket but defected to Kanu in the run-up to the last polls. Now he could be sitting pretty since he enjoys the confidence of power broker Twahir Sheikh Said. But this could be a double-edged sword – the MP may be seen to be too dependent on TSS. The irony is that despite Mr Fumo having conducted several harambees (fundraisers) for schools, dispensaries and bursary funds, a section of the constituents are convinced that it is TSS who has been the driving force.

Mr Fumo, in an a conversation with the Nation, would hear none of it. He takes pride in establishment of the Lamu East Bursary Fund and the fact that he has found placing for a number of his constituents at the Kenya Ports Authority and the Mombasa Municipal Council. Meanwhile, very few aspirants have so far come out in the open to challenge him. The constituency, unlike neighbouring Lamu West, is predominantly Kanu – although it attracted opposition parties in the last elections. Three ethnic groups dominate its affairs: the majority Bajuni, the Somali and the Boni.

Movement to and from the constituency is sometimes interrupted since the Mkanda Channel is navigable only during high tide. Dredging is currently going on to make the area accessible at all time.
Other contestants on a Kanu ticket include former MP Abu Mohammed Chiaba, Major (Rtd) Seif Sheyumbe, who is based in Abu Dhabi, and former Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania and China Jelani Mohammed Habib. In the Opposition are Mombasa businessman Yusuf Aroi Avumao (Ford-People) and Mr Mohammed Kusoma (Saba Saba Asili).

The main issue will be land ownership, given that virtually all Lamu East residents are squatters. Out of the total population of about 20,000, less that 100 people have title deeds. Other issues include the trouble-hit fishing industry, lack of fresh drinking water and insecurity – caused by bandits from Somalia, Tana River and Garissa districts.

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pre-1997 election analysis

THE ECONOMIC REVIEW
(Oct 27 - Nov 2, 1997)

Lamu East: Kanu Seat

Faza, Siyu, Tchundwa and Kizingitini locations of Faza division; Kiunga and Basuba locations of Kiunga division of Lamu district.

For nearly two decades, Lamu East was dominated by Mr. Mzamil Omar Mzamil and Mr. Abubakar Habib Madhubuti, who exchanged the seat between themselves from 1969 until 1992, when a newcomer, Mr. Abu Mohamed turned the tables on them. The constituency has a tendency not to vote in an MP for two consecutive terms, and the incumbent will be seeking to break the jinx.

In 1992, Mohmaed, commonly known as Chiaba, surprised many when he grabbed the Kanu ticket and went to win the seat. This time, Mohamed, who is a member of the Barawa ethnic group which traces its roots to southern Somalia, faces a stiff challenge from the Bajuni ethnic group, who want one of their own in parliament. The main challenge is likely to come from the 1992 Ford Kenya candidate, Mr. Mohamed Hashim Salim, who came second in the last polls, but has since defected to Kanu. In the absence of the former MP for Lamu West and 1992 Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) candidate, the late Mr. Abu Somo Boa, the DP onslaught will be spearheaded by a former Mombasa councillor, Ms. Somoe Abdalla Amour, who is targeting women and the youth. Mention is also being Mention is also being made of a former deputy director of the National Museums of Kenya and former nominated MP, Mr. Omar Bwana, who might go for the DP ticket.

Major campaign issues in the constituency will be the perennial attacks by bandits form neighboring Garisa district and Somalia; the small-scale fisherman’s push for credit facilities from the government, and the recent government clampdown on indiscriminate cutting down of mangrove trees, which is a significant income earner for the locals.

Unlike in 1992 when four political parties participated, the forthcoming battle is likely to be a dual between Kanu and the DP, although there are indications that Ford Kenya and the National Development Party (NDP) may also field candidates. The battle is likely to be fought along ethnic lines pitting those of Arab and Somali descent against those of African extraction. Despite efforts by the opposition, Kanu is currently seen as the frontrunner, not only due to incumbency but also the fact that the opposition have not made fresh inroads since the last election. Mohamed, who is likely to face a major challenge from Hashim, is being accused of favouring Barawa ethnic group at the expense of the indigenous Bajuni.

Hashim, is said to have the backing of Madhubuti, is likely to depend on his Bajuni background and credible 1992 performance. The DP’s Ms. Amour is likely to bank on the fact that she is the first Bajuni woman to seek a parliamentary seat, and her many years as a Mombasa councillor. Amour’s chances could suffer, however, should Kanu opt for a Bajuni candidate, not to mention that the opposition is still very thin on the ground in Lamu East.

Going by current events, Chiaba is the man to beat as observers argue that he has made a noticeable mark in the last five years, compared to area previous MPs.
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OUR COMMENTS: An excellent analysis. Although Chiaba is from Barawa ethnic group, Lamu East politics have never been fought on ethnic lines, simply because there is only one ethnic community in the area, the Bajuni who happen to be 99.99% of the voters.
(CPPSS)
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1997 Candidates

NDP Abudi O Mohamed
FORD-P Mohamed Kusoma
KANU Mohamed Hashim Salim
FORD-K Salim Ali Fani
DP H M Bwana