Mombasa politics has taken a new twist with the use of propaganda and mudslinging to drive certain political narratives taking center stage in a bid to woo voters.

Over the past few weeks, social media has been abuzz with reports that certain political aspirants had dropped out of the 2022 race or opted for other political seats.

Last weekend, social media users in the county woke up to reports that Mvita Legislature Abdulswamad Nassir had opted out of the 2022 gubernatorial race and instead was now eying the senator’s seat.

The well-orchestrated report had photos of individuals donning T-shirts with the message ‘Abdulswamad for senator 2022, na bado’ which was widely circulated across all social media platforms.

However while speaking at a function in Tudor on Sunday afternoon, the MP scoffed of the reports claiming that his political rivals were at hand to smear his name.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/politics/item/2455-i-m-not-quitting-mombasa-governor-race-declares-nassir

He reiterated that he was still in the race to succeed the outgoing Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho stating that no amount of propaganda will destruct him from ascending to the seat.

“Who told you I don’t want to be governor? My friends I’m in this race to the end, let them (rivals) continue with their propaganda, we will continue with our agenda of serving the people of Mombasa,” said an angry Nassir.

The MP and his political nemesis businessman-cum-politician Suleiman Shahbal will battle it out for the ODM party ticket next year.

In what is seen as throwing a jab at his main opponent (Shahbal), Nassir said that he and his team had run out of ideas to transform the lives of Mombasa people and had reverted to a smearing campaign to confuse the voters.

“They have failed to think of strategies on how to improve the lives of Mombasa residents, they are now peddling lies that I have opted out of the gubernatorial race, let them prepare their political graves because we will take them down,” said Nassir.

Reliable sources within the Shahbal camp refuted any involvement in the incident, instead accusing Nassir and his people for stage-managing the whole thing to win sympathy from the people.

“Our opponent has panicked, he doesn’t know what to do that’s why he is doing whatever he has done to gain sympathy from the people, our candidate (Shahbal) has no time for such petty politics,” said Mohamed Ahmed, head of communication.

Shahbal who has twice unsuccessfully contested for the seat losing both times to Joho in 2013 and 2017, recently decamped to ODM after dumping the Jubilee party which he vied on in the last elections.

Ahmed described the incident as malicious campaign by his opponents hell-bent to tarnish Shahbal’s name adding that it will not distract him from achieving his agenda.

“This is the third election that Shahbal is contesting and he has never been known for such petty politics, he is the only candidate that has an agenda for the people of Mombasa,” said Ahmed.

Mvita parliamentary seat hopeful Mohamed Machele on Monday refuted claims that he had dropped out of the race asking his supporters to ignore rumors being peddled around.

Machele who was hosted for a luncheon by Mvita Women said that he was still in the race to succeed Nassir who is eyeing the governor’s seat.

“I am firmly in the race to become the next Mvita Constituency member of parliament, ignore the rumors you hear outside there, you the people are the ones who have kept me going,” said Machele.

The youthful aspirant, a close ally of Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho, will square it off with the current Mombasa County Executive Committee Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works Taufiq Balala who is said to be eying the Mvita MP seat on an ODM ticket, among other eight aspirants.

The others include former Mombasa mayor Rajab Sumba’s son, Hassan Sumba, Kanu board member Mohamed Samatar, UDA party activist Mohamed Salim alias Tenge, businessman Omar Shalo, Ali Mwatsahu and Said Twaha.