Suleiman Shahbal has fought political battles since he came into the political limelight in 2011 but his recent remarks on the next General Election have raised a storm in the country. Shahbal’s allies however say he underrated his political opponents.
The politician's former campaign strategists for the 2013 election believe he is frustrated by the failure by the electorate to embrace his change ideology and claims that he cannot take on the current leadership in Mombasa.
“It is no secret that people have laughed off his bid and teased him to the effect that he is too soft for Mombasa politics. And I think his controversial remarks show that he is frustrated or maybe he is trying to portray himself as tough and equal or better than those feared in the county or region politics,” said lawyer Abubakar Yusuf. The lawyer has represented Shahbal in the past and was one of the strategists in the last elections.
The 56-year-old Shahbal shocked his supporters when he changed parties ahead of the 2013 elections. First he defected from ODM to the United Democratic Forum party (UDF) before he moved to the Wiper Democratic Movement.
He defected to Wiper on January 19, 2013 after three of his handlers were roughed up by alleged supporters of his competitors at the height of the contest for the ODM nomination.
Born in Mombasa’s Chura Majengo in Tononoka Ward, the businessman campaigned on the platform of change and condemned politics of hooliganism.
According to Yusuf, Shahbal entered politics because he realised that it was key in business.
After losing the Mombasa gubernatorial race in the 2013 elections, garnering over 94,000 votes against Governor Hassan Ali Joho’s 132,583, Shahbal contested the results in court in vain.
Ruin his political ambitions
The businessman’s campaign was not smooth. At one point, thugs broke into his Mombasa office and carted away vital documents. He also blamed unknown forces for leaking videos of his private life on social media to ruin his political ambitions.
“What kind of attacks has Shahbal not been subjected to? He has been assaulted I remember he was once almost pushed from a podium during a CORD rally a Khadija grounds,” said his former chief strategists in the last election Millicent Odhiambo.
Despite the attacks, Ms Odhiambo says Shahbal is intelligent having worked and studied in the US and United Arab Emirates. Shahbal carried on with the message of change rallying his supporters against violence.
“He was courageous but I must say naïve also because he entered into politics thinking Kenyans would just accept him because he was a nice guy with coherent plans on how to change Mombasa,” she said.
Last year, Shahbal defected from Wiper to Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP).
In JAP he has also met resistance with some officials accusing him of being a “a bully keen to elbow out everyone because of his financial muscle.”
Last Sunday the businessman however surprised his supporters and critics after he said that Jubilee would win the 2017 polls by all means during a rally at Pwani University in Kilifi County.
“I would like to tell you that we shall win the 2017 election. We shall win the 2017 elections by force. We shall buy it, we shall steal it, whatever it will be,” said Shahbal.
The remarks caused a storm on social media, prompting Jubilee Party Mombasa branch to denounce the businessman and demanded that he offers a public apology.
“Shahbal should publicly apologise and make it clear that he was not speaking on behalf of the party. We also ask the DPP and the investigating agencies to hasten the process and charge him as quickly as possible,” said Peterson Mitau.
JAP officials in Mombasa criticised Shahbal describing his statement as reckless and warned that he risks compromising President Uhuru Kenyatta’s political support.
Since he joined Jubilee on February 8 last year, the businessman has caused a stir with members claiming the party was favouring him.
Surprisingly, pressure to have Shahbal prosecuted over the controversial remarks are mainly from JAP Mombasa officials with the CORD leaders in the county silent on the matter.
JAP Coast coordinator Farid Swaleh yesterday said Shahbal should be stripped off the party position because he does not represent the ideals and aspiration of the ruling coalition.
“How can he be that reckless? He has contradicted the President and the Deputy President who have vowed to fight corruption in all spheres. For him to say that we will steal election he shows us how he is disconnected from the President’s,” said Swaleh.
Yusuf and Odhiambo, who described Shahbal as an avid reader and calculating politician, say he appears to have decided to shake off the perceived “softness” and embraced bare knuckles politics.
“It is true that the remarks took me aback because it is not the Shahbal I known and worked with. But after some time I remembered what the man has gone through since he joined politics and maybe he is sending a message that he is not a political greenhorn,” said Odhiambo.
Lawyer Yusuf said that he was not surprised that JAP officials were at the forefront condemning Shahbal, saying that most of them felt threatened.
“Shahbal is an asset and not a liability. He is not a man that will wait for the party to finance him. If he instructs me I will represent him but I think they should just forgive him,” he said.
