Mombasa governor candidate Suleiman Shahbal and President Uhuru Kenyatta at a past event. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta earned a second term in office after beating NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga in the August 8 polls, a win which the opposition coalition has vowed to challenge in the Supreme Court.
While various actors played a key role in Uhuru’s re-election, some have not received credit for the effort they put in to ensure the Jubilee leader extends his tenure by another five years.One such person is Mombasa governor candidate Suleiman Shahbal who was a key member of the President's campaign team in the pro-opposition Coast region.Shahbal who came second to ODM's Hassan Joho ensured that Uhuru got a chunk of the votes in the county that has been Raila's political bedrock.According to the IEBC's final tally, President Uhuru Kenyatta garnered 99,190 votes in Mombasa, a big improvement from 2013, where he garnered over 64,000.Shahbal crossed over to Jubilee after ditching Kalonzo's Wiper, the party which he used as his political vehicle in 2013 when he made his first stab at governorship.Despite the fact that Jubilee party failed to win a single elective seat in Mombasa, President Kenyatta's tally of 99,190 votes in an opponent's stronghold is a commendable achievement, and the credit goes to Shahbal.