Why Bahati won’t drop the mic in Mathare race
Majority Leader in National Assembly Amos Kimunya looks on as Bahati is awarded his nomination certificate by Jubilee Party SG Jeremiah Kioni.
Kelvin Kioko alias Bahati has maintained that he will not drop his bid to vie for the Mathare parliamentary seat.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna had on Monday said the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition has settled on Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch to be the sole candidate for the party.
Bahati explains why he believes he is being targeted by some individuals who want to sabotage his candidacy.
Are you still in the race?
Yes. I am still running for the Mathare MP seat. My party Jubilee and the Azimio coalition has not asked me to step down; what you are seeing is just propaganda. The tactics being used to intimidate me won’t work. I am the most popular candidate in that area that is why you see I am being fought. Sifuna should know I did not ask him for a job. I already have a job as an artiste but I now want to serve the people of Mathare.
Don’t you think your defiance will put you in conflict with the party?
But the party has not asked me to step down, so how can I be in conflict with the party? It is only two individuals who are fighting me but they won’t succeed. I went through the party nominations and I passed. I have followed all the requirements. Have you seen the secretary-general of Jubilee Party Jeremiah Kioni saying anything about this matter? Then you should know that the people you are seeing broadcasting themselves all over purporting to be speaking on behalf of the party are just noisemakers.
When these matters are discussed, the candidates are usually called. I did not know anything about this until I saw Sifuna’s comments on social media. I was surprised and appalled at the same time. Their way of approach was simply rude.
Why do you think you have become a target?
Because numbers don’t lie. The incumbent MP knows very well that his popularity has gone down. And take this to the bank: If by chance I am not on the ballot paper in August, then be assured that the seat will go to the UDA candidate. I am the only aspirant who was born and raised in Mathare. I came from humble beginnings and I fully understand the struggles the youth in Mathare go through. The people of Mathare have urged me not to step down and it is because of them that I will not be scared off easily.
Why is it a matter of life and death for you?
When you grow up with nothing like myself and be able to make something of yourself, you always want to go back and help the community that stood with you. The job which you hear them flaunting at me is something that I was offered a few days ago so as to step down. It was going to be a government position, which I will not mention, but I declined. There are some jobs which I would not be able to fully serve the people of Mathare. As an artiste, I have tried but it is not enough.
How has the campaign trail been for you?
I have had to change a few things in my life, like taking a break from music. Receiving the support of my party and the people of Mathare has helped a lot. Young people are really involving themselves in politics; they want to be part of the decisions being made concerning them. So far so good.
Can you compare music entertainment and politics?
I think these are just two sides of the same coin. As an artiste I would interact with my fans just like how a politician does with their constituents. When God blesses me, I share with the less fortunate. I listen to them. I create job opportunities. I did this when I started my record label Eastlands Most Beloved (EMB), where I signed up artistes to allow them to make a living through music. I have an agenda with Mathare — to transform lives and living conditions.
