Former Bahari MP and Kilifi governor seat aspirant John Safari Mumba has named an accountant as his running mate.Mumba said Leonard Jefa Kalama, a University of Nairobi graduate with a degree in commerce, will be part of a "formidable team".

"Ours is a team of mature, experienced manager with prove track record," said Mumba."We are technocrats with political flair. We are results-oriented."

Mumba spoke to the Star on the phone.Mumba said they have drawn a strategy to empower Kilifi residents through education and wealth creation.

The Mtwapa Stakeholders Forum chairman said his team will help people work and grow rich as they have done before through the Mtwapa forum.

Just like Mtwapa, which is a 24-hour economy centre, Mumba said they will strive to turn other urban centres including like Kilifi town, Malindi town and Mariakani into 24-hour economic hubs.

"We did it with the Mtwapa Stakeholders Forum, we can do it again with Kilifi county government," he said.The former legislator will be running on a Party for Independent Candidates of Kenya (Pick), which is friendly to Cord.

He said he chose the little-known party because he anticipated problems in the main parties in Cord, after initially being ion ODM.

"Because of expected storms in the Cord, I tried to avoid nominations because I anticipated difficulties from the power brokers at the grassroots, not Nairobi," he said.

"I wanted a party that has a measure of independence," he added.He said the alliances formed by the parties are unpredictable. He did not want to be in a party or alliance that would take him in a direction that would end up confusing the electorate.