Deputy President William Ruto on Monday declared that Mombasa businessman, Suleiman Shahbal , will be facing off the County Governor Hassan Joho in the August 8 Election.
Mr Ruto stated that Shahbal will be running for the Mombasa top job with Anania Mwaboza as his running mate.
Last year, Shahbal was captured on camera vowing that Jubilee was committed to winning the upcoming poll by any means possible including stealing and buying votes.
“Uchaguzi wa 2017 tutashinda, tutashinda kwa nguvu, tutanunua, tutaiba whatever will be.” (2017 elections; we will win, we will win by force, we will buy votes, we will steal votes. Whatever it takes.)," he said.
The controversial statement prompted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko to open a criminal investigation against Shahbal.
In 2013, Mr Shahbal ran for the Gubernatorial seat on a Wiper ticket but lost to Mr Joho. The businessman later defected to Jubilee and radically resolved to make sure the Coast region becomes a political stronghold for Jubilee.
“I’m going to rigorously campaign for the government and ensure its policies are accepted by locals and further ensure it comes back in power after the next general election,” Shahbal was once quoted.
