Mombasa businessman Mohammed Soud Machele has refuted claims he has dropped out of the Mvita MP race even as propaganda war hots up.
Machele on Monday said he was firmly in the race which has so far attracted eight aspirants.
The businessman also denied claims he is a project, saying he is his own man.
“I have never gone to any tycoon, businessman or politician for their financial support. I have struggled on my own and the help of God,” Machele said.
He spoke at Majengo Hall where he was hosted for a luncheon by Mvita women.
He said a youth movement in Mombasa convinced him to join politics, something he said he was not initially interested in.
“I got into politics because of the push from my mothers, fathers and brothers and sisters. Today, I declare that I am firmly in the race for the Mvita MP seat in 2022,” Machele said.
This is the first time he has publicly declared he will be in the race to succeed Abdullswamad Nassir who will be seeking the governor's seat.
The soft-spoken businessman will be battling with Mombasa transport executive Tawfiq Balala, former Mombasa mayor Rajab Sumba’s son Hassan Sumba, businessman Omar Shalo, Kanu board member Mohamed Samatar and political activist Mohamed ‘Tenge’ Salim.
Others are Said Twaha and Ali Mwatsahu.
Mvita, in the heart of Mombasa county, is the second most populous constituency in the coastal county with 107,091 registered voters, according to IEBC’s 2017 voter register.
It is only behind Kisauni (126,151 voters). Nyali is third with 104,017 registered voters, followed by Likoni (87,326), Changamwe (86,331) and Jomvu (69,307), according to the register.
The constituency was established for the 1988 General Election and had been the heart of independence party Kanu operations for a long time.
Nassir’s father, Shariff Nassir, was a Kanu stalwart and then President Daniel Moi’s ally. He represented the constituency for three terms until 1997 when he was ousted by Narc’s Najib Balala, the current Tourism Cabinet Secretary and brother to Tawfiq, who is eying the seat now.
Balala retained the seat in 2007 and was replaced by ODM’s Nassir in 2013 when he unsuccessfully sought the Senate seat.
The constituency has been a strong ODM zone and anyone on the ticket is deemed to already have one foot in Parliament.
However, Kanu’s Samatar on Saturday said time had come to take back Mombasa county, which was once their bastion.
The late senior Nassir had made the party a force at the Coast.
Mvita was the bedrock of the party in Mombasa for decades.
Samatar on Saturday said his aim is to ensure Kanu gets back to the glory days “when everybody sang Kanu”.
“We want to take back our county, starting from Mvita,” Samatar said.
“We are going to Bomas to make a major statement on Monday before coming back to Mombasa to shake things up.”
Tawfiq, who is widely expected to vie on an ODM ticket, on Sunday poured cold water on the reports of him being in the race.
“I have not declared anywhere that I am in the race. So, I’m not in the race,” he said on phone.
He said reports of him eying the seat are rumours.
“Maybe people want me to vie. But I am working for the people of Mombasa at the moment, not just Mvita,” Tawfiq said.
Businessman Shalo has been in Jubilee but is now leaning more towards UDA where he will be battling with Mwatsahu and Twaha for the ticket to be the party’s flagbearer in Mvita.
Mwatsahu however said he is more experienced in the political scene and will easily beat them.
“These are still junior in politics. They cannot match me,” he said.
Shalo said he will ensure Mvita’s security is significantly improved while also economically empowering the youth and women.
Machele, who started his Machele Foundation, a charitable organisation, three years ago, said his difficult childhood means he knows what it means to be having nothing.
“I was born, raised, schooled, played and now work in Mvita. I know its problems and how to solve them,” the youthful businessman said.
