Just days after businessman Suleiman Shahbal bowed out of the Mombasa gubernatorial race, details of how President Uhuru’s hand played a role in the decision have emerged.
Shahbal last week shocked many when he announced that he had dropped his governor bid in support of Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir.
While making the announcement, he said that he had reached the decision after thoughtful consideration of the needs and aspirations of the people of Mombasa, long deliberations with ODM party leader Raila Odinga and advice from the chair of Azimio la Umoja Coalition, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Details have, however, emerged that Shahbal had rejected calls to step down in favor of Abdulswamad.
This is even after Raila made several attempts to convince him, including chairing a meeting with him in Nairobi.
According to sources that spoke to one of the leading local dailies, Raila made a phone call to President Kenyatta to seek his intervention.
It is President Kenyatta together with Raila who then reportedly told Shahbal that his hardline stance had created divisions among ODM supporters.
They urged him to step down given that three opinion polls had shown Nassir was ahead.
Shahbal found himself between the sitting president and the possibly incoming president, leaving him with no option.
Meanwhile, Shahbal has accepted an offer to join Raila’s Presidential campaign team.
