Two Jubilee Coalition aspirants in Mombasa have differed over a proposal to have one of them drop his bid in favour of another.

TNA's Abdalla Mwaruwa differed with the Republican Congress Party's Ibrahim 'Babangida' Khamisi over who of them should vie for governor and who should be running mate.

According to sources, top Jubilee officials want Babangida to become Mwaruwa's running mate. The message, delivered by an emissary at a TNA meeting at the Dancourt Hotel in Mombasa on Sunday, elicited angry reaction from supporters of Mwaruwa's running mate Ogutu Osoro.

The supporters disrupted the meeting for about 30 minutes before calm was restored. Osoro accused the Jubilee leadership of trying to interfere with the local political affairs.

"Constitutionally, the governor picks their own running mate. These people who have means want to impose this person on us," Osoro said on the phone yesterday.

He said the coalition officials want to introduce tribal politics in Mombasa because Babangida's wife is from the Kikuyu community. Mwaruwa said he has heard the "rumours" but dismissed them as "people's opinion".

Mwaruwa was coy on whether the arrangement will work. "If that is their reason (wanting to tap into the Kikuyu block), it is very unfortunate. In reality, it is not a very good idea," Mwaruwa said on the phone yesterday.

Babangida was non-commital on the issue but maintained that he is still in the governor race. "This is a two-way issue.They also want Mwaruwa to be my running mate," said Babangida.