Kenyan musician Bahati is on a mission to rebuild his political aspirations following a disappointing outcome in the previous year’s general election. In the race for the Mathare parliamentary seat, the singer found himself in the unenviable third position, securing less than 8,000 votes in a constituency inhabited by over 200,000 residents.
Bahati’s recent activities indicate a renewed political fervor. He attended the United Democratic Delegates gathering at the Bomas of Kenya, where he crossed paths with William Ruto, the leader of the political party. Bahati shared a photo of himself with Ruto, accompanied by a cryptic caption that read, “the 5th, the 6th, and the 7th, the current, the next, and the future rafiki wa rais” (friend of the president). While the message was somewhat veiled, it was evident that Bahati is positioning himself for a presidential bid in the foreseeable future.
Must read: Alichezwa? Why Bahati lost the Mathare parliamentary seat
This ambition had already been hinted at by Bahati when he proclaimed his intentions to vie for the presidential seat in 2037, urging the public to “save the date” for his candidacy.
In a recent interview, Bahati expressed regret over his support for the Azimio coalition during the campaign period. He suggested that had he thrown his weight behind Ruto at that time, he might now be the Member of Parliament for Mathare. Bahati stated, “Azimio never believed in young people. William Ruto believed in me. He was the first one to know I had an interest in running for the seat, but I don’t know why I didn’t run through his party. The devil is a liar.”
He continued, “I remember when I told President Ruto I wanted to run for the Mathare MP seat; he gave me the first food that I donated in Mathare. He supported me. If I had not run away from Ruto’s UDA, I would be a Member of Parliament today. It was the biggest mistake.”
Bahati also revealed that he had been offered a job by Raila Odinga in exchange for stepping down in favor of Anthony Oluoch, who ultimately won the Mathare MP seat. He recounted an incident during the campaign when he left a rally where Raila was speaking, expecting an endorsement for his candidacy. However, Raila instead asked him to withdraw from the race in return for a job offer.
Bahati’s political journey has been marked by twists and turns, with his distant third-place finish in the fiercely competitive Mathare MP race ultimately leading him to recalibrate his political strategy.
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