The support for the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNNCI) vice president Dr. Eric Rutto by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir and the Member of Parliament in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Suleiman Shahbal in the upcoming KNCCI elections scheduled for 8th June 2023 is all inconsequential.
Shabal and Nassir, both members of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition party have openly expressed their bitterness with KNCCI president Richard Ngatia, who is seeking re-election and thrown their support behind Ngatia’s opponent for reasons best to them.
Their support is however inconsequential as Ngatia makes strides towards winning a second term at the helm of the chamber with a wealth of experience from the first term and plans for bettering the business environment in Kenya.
It is clear that Ngatia’s re-election is all in the cards as the chamber president has managed to garner the support of over 70 percent of the delegates across the country and has therefore attained an assailable lead that it will be impossible for him to lose this election
Ngatia has also won the backing pf political leaders from across the political divide and just recently, he won the endorsements National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Vihiga Governor Wilber Otichilo among other political leaders across.
Ngatia’s opponent has failed to marshall even the support of politicians and delegates from his own backyard who majority have openly shown support for Ngatia.
Shahbal is well known as a person who thrives in cutting deals and not a businessman and does not understand what the common businessmen undergo. Unlike Ngatia, Shabal has never been heard saying anything that affect Kenyan businesses, other than broking deals and supporting mediocrity. Shahbal has never been heard say anything about the high taxes and many other issues affecting business.
For Shahbal to say that his main reason he supports Ngatia’s opponent is because Ngatia is a friend of former President Uhuru Kenyatta is a fallacy and one of the most irrelevant of reasons expected from a person of his caliber.
Shabal supported Azimio and was always heard insulting President William Ruto during the campaigns and is currently nominated to EALA by ODM and at the same time wants to use the KNCCI elections as a spring board to escalate him imaginary greatness.
Broker’s, washwash kings and deal cutters should stay away from the KNCCI elections and let the members elect their leaders.
