Shabhal reveals how Uhuru, Raila pushed him to shelve Mombasa governor bid

Business tycoon and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Suleiman Shabhal./COURTERSY

Business tycoon and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Suleiman Shabhal has recounted how he was put under pressure to step down from the Mombasa governor race.

Speaking in Mombasa on Tuesday, Shabhal said he faced immense pressure from the late ODM leader Raila Odinga and former President Uhuru Kenyatta to step down in favour of Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir.

The EALA MP said he was enticed with an appointment as Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industrialization as a lure to forego his quest to become Mombasa’s second Governor, which he initially declined.

However, after meeting Raila and speaking to Uhuru on the phone, he eventually caved in and announced his withdrawal from the race, throwing his support behind Nassir, who was then Mvita MP.

“I know there are many supporters here who were disappointed with me in 2022 for stepping down, and they are right. One is shouting here that I let them down, which is true,” he said while addressing a forum that brought together Luo professionals living in Mombasa.

Having conducted his campaigns, the EALA MP said he was confident of clinching the ODM ticket but was prevailed upon to step down and avoid party primaries for the sake of party unity.

“When we launched our campaigns and held our last rally in Tononoka, we were later called to Nairobi by the party and told we were 45% behind, yet we knew we were 22% ahead. We asked for fair nominations, but we were told of opinion polls and warned about the risk of dividing the party,” he said.

Shabhal then revealed that he travelled to Nairobi, where he met Raila at the then-outgoing Governor and now Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho’s private home.

“We met and agreed to see Raila to seek his views. We met at Joho’s home, and Raila held my hand, walked up to the third floor, and told me, ‘Shabhal, I want you to come with me to national politics, and I will make you Cabinet Secretary for Trade and Industrialisation.’”

“I told him, ‘Baba, I don’t want to be a Cabinet Secretary but a governor and change Mombasa.’ He told me Mombasa doesn’t have enough resources for me to manage. I said I would bring investors.”

“‘Suleiman, the nation is bigger than your personal ambition. Who has sacrificed more than Raila Odinga?’ I had to oblige following this statement. He then called President Uhuru Kenyatta and handed over the phone to me, and the President gave the same directive.”

“I was under too much pressure. The President was my friend, and we used to sit down and have stories before he became head of state. But this time, when he called, I had to answer ‘yes, sir’ and listen. However, we don’t want to dwell in the past,” Shabhal concluded.

The business mogul did not, however, declare whether he still has ambitions of running for governor.

In a statement shared on its social media platforms in April 2022, announcing the move, the ODM party said Shabhal dropped his bid to ensure a united front ahead of the elections.

“He says his decision was informed by the fact that he believes in a united ODM in Mombasa. He says he will campaign for the party ahead of the 9/8 elections,” the ODM party posted.

“Party Leader Raila Odinga thanked businessman Suleiman Shabhal for his decision to step down and support Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, saying it was an act of bravery and loyalty to the party."