Outgoing Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has won the Mombasa Governor election.
Provisional results from six constituencies show Mr Nasssir won with 119,083 votes against Mr Omar's 98,108.
More to follow...
Speaking to the press, Mombasa County Returning Officer Swalha Yusuf said the the returning officers from all the six sub-counties inspected ballot materials to be used in Monday’s exercise after receiving them from the IEBC tallying centre.
“Everything is intact and there is no single mixup registered. We are more than ready,” said Yusuf.
The ballot materials, including KIEMS kits, ballot papers, boxes and voting booths, were dispatched under tight security to all the 1,041 polling stations spread across the Mvita, Kisauni, Likoni, Jomvu, Changamwe and Nyali Constituencies.
“All polling stations will be open by 6am and all registered voters should come with their National IDs,” added Yusuf.
A total of seven candidates battling to succeed Governor Ali Hassan Joho, who is serving his second and final term.
Among the frontrunners in the race include Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Candidate Abdulswamad Nasir and his UDA counterpart Hassan Omar Sarai, William Kingi (PAA), and former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti.
"We are not going to allow an individual to violate and rape the Constitution of this country and shred it into peices," said Nassir.
"This is utter stupidity... We will not allow it. We will go to court and we are going to expect and order that those elections be held on the stipulated date!"He added.
Nassir read malice in the postponement of the Mombasa and Kakamega Governor elections, he alleged that their rivals in the Kenya Kwanza coalition are always pre-informed about the postponement.
"The law is very clear. You cannot just wake up and change the election date. How comes our competitors have information beforehand that elections will be rescheduled?" posed Nassir.
"No consultation. No nothing. What do you take the people of Kakamega and Mombasa for? We will not allow it," he said.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, in a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, said the postponement of the elections was occasioned by alleged harassment of the commission’s staff in the course of executing their duties.
Chebukati cited that the electoral body had resolved to push to a later date eight elections, among them gubernatorial polls in Mombasa and Kakamega counties.
The commission also postponed parliamentary elections in Kitui Rural Constituency (Kitui County), Kacheliba Constituency (West Pokot) County), Pokot South Constituency (West Pokot County) and Rongai Constituency (Nakuru County).
Member of County Assembly Ward elections for Nyaki West (North Imenti Constituency - Meru County), and Kwa Njenga (Embakasi South Constituency – Nairobi County) have also been postponed.
“The Commission is concerned that some of its critical staff who objectively and impartially performed their duties at the National Tallying Centre are being intimidated and harassed through profiling and/or arbitrary arrests,” wrote Chebukati.
In it's Wednesday ruling the court decreed that Sonko had submitted all the requisite documents to the IEBC for clearance on time.
At the same time, the three-judge bench comprising of Olga Sewe, Ann Ong'injo', and Stephen Githinji noted that the former Governor has an appeal pending at the Supreme Court and has not exhausted his options for contesting his impeachment.
The electoral body had decline to clear the former county boss to contest citing his eligibility to run after being impeached by the County Assembly of Nairobi.
While IEBC legal teams fought back to indicate that the former Nairobi Governor is ineligible to contest for the position, Sonko's legal team affirmed that IEBC erred in its decision to disqualify the former Governor from running.
She said the commission was not aware that Mr Sonko has an active case at Supreme Court and it needs the same communication in order to clear him.
Mr Sonko had been accompanied by his running mate and Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo and Wiper Chairman Chirau Ali Makwere.
“Nitakuja hapa kuunga mkono ndugu zangu wengine tuwapeleke mbele….. nawaambia hapa leo kwamba Abdulswamad Nassir atakuwa gavana my friends… safari ndio hii na mwelekeo tumeweka ni nyinyi kuufwata,” said Joho.
Joho’s pronouncemnet comes at the back drop of a heated battle of succeeding him pitting MP Nassir and businessman Suleiman Shabal who recently decamped to ODM.
Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, MPs Mboko (Likoni) and Badi Twalib (Jomvu)who seconded the endorsement said they have confidence in the ability of Nassir to succeed Joho.
"We know that Joho's term is ending and as he moves to national politics, We have one of our own. He is a humble person who has been tried and tested and is equally approachable. We must have one person we know well who will continue with what Governor Joho has accomplished and that person is Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir," Likoni MP Mishi Mboko said.
MP Badi on the other hand told Nassir to soldier on as his prospects of succeeding Joho were high.
An elated Nassir took the stage to thank the leaders led by Governor Joho whom he extended an early invitation to at next year’s edition of the ceremony.
“You are the chief guest for next year’s governor’s Christmas tree lighting, nimekualika kabisa,” said Nassir.
Nassir is serving his second term as the MP for Mvita.
“We are not saying when they are coming back because the school board has to make a decision.”
The suspects, who were in a Toyota Probox, were attempting to cross over from the South Coast towards Kisiwani in Mombasa.
They were hounded out of the vehicle by at least 10 heavily armed Police officers who officers shot in the air, blindfolded the suspects and bundled them into their awaiting Landcruiser.
A machete and mobile phones were also recovered from the suspects’ vehicle.
Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata has since confirmed the arrest of the two terror suspects.
