Mombasa businessman-cum-politician Mbarak Bashatir / BRIAN OTIENO
Mombasa businessman-cum-politician Mbarak Bashatir [3rd R] / BRIAN OTIENO
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Mombasa businessman-cum-politician Mbarak Bashatir has joined the United Democratic Alliance.

Bashatir, who is eying the Kisauni MP seat, had been under pressure to announce the party through which he will be vying the Kisauni MP seat.

However, Bashatir had been silent, only saying that the party is not the most important thing for the people of Kisauni.

But on Friday, he shortly after visiting the UDA offices in Nairobi, Bashatir announced that the party to beat is the ruling UDA party.

“The party that is built on a strong foundation, which cares for the people of Kenya as a whole, is UDA. That is why I have joined the party,” the businessman-cum-politician said.

He said the party aligns with his vision which is to see a Kisauni that has no discrimination based on any doctrine, race, colour, religion, status or tribe.

“UDA has been able to unite the country and that is a major thing,” Bashatir said.

He noted the decision to join UDA was a factor of many nuances that he has been able to carefully study among many of the big parties’ manifestos and constitutions in Kenya that he has gone through.

“I have sampled the manifestos and constitutions of the many parties that are registered in Kenya. And after careful consideration, I settled on UDA because it is the most hustler-inspired,” Bashatir said.

He noted he also started from the bottom and made his way up the ladder, coming from a humble background where he had to share a small room with his siblings and parents, and working his way out of poverty.

He said he will hit the ground running, promoting the ruling party and ensuring as many people join the party as possible.

He called on Kisuani residents to stand with UDA in support of the party’s secretary general Hassan Omar who is from Mombasa.

“This is one of the dreams that I have achieved, being in the ruling party,” Bashatir said.

He noted that being in the ruling party has its perks, including faster development and easy access to power.

“Had Kisauni been able to access power easily, it would have transformed long time ago,” he said.

He also noted that his support for President William Ruto started as early as 2007, when he first worked with him when he was MP.

“His way of working impressed me since the YK92 days. He has been a fighter, a man of his own making, without having a God father to turn too,” he said.

He said he will go to the grassroots and work for the party physically, not making noise on WhatsApp groups as it happens.

“The reception I have received is impressive. This is the first step of many that will come. This is the path towards making Kisauni better than it is,” he said.

“Today, a lion has been born officially in UDA. The lion will now go to the jungle to ensure all animals know and follow UDA,” he said.


INSTANT ANALYSIS:

Mbarak Bashatir’s decision to join UDA is a bold step. Kisuani is an ODM zone as is Mombasa county. However, Mbarak’s decision smirks of a man confident of his popularity and strength on the ground.