ABBAS KHALIF SET TO CLINCH THE SOUTH C MCA'S SEAT

Businessman Abbas Ibrahim Khalif, a new entrant to the south c's MCA race is already causing shockwaves in and around south c that are reverberating up to the incumbent Osman Khalif's 'bedroom'. Everywhere you go, you'll find groups of people talking in low tones and when you move closer Abbas, as he is popularly known is the keyword on their lips. Listening to him speak, one will easily understand why the south c residents have been quick to fall in love with him. He understands well what ails south c, and has just the right answers to this particular problem. He seems to be speaking the right language to the electorate, he connects with them on a level that no other candidate has done. Men and women, young and old seem to effortlessly fall in love with him. I happened to attend one of his rallies over the weekend and witnessed firsthand the love residents have for this young man. At a meeting held on Mugoya grounds in south c, as early as 7 am the ground was already packed with people despite Abbas having been scheduled to make an entrance at 11 am. And when he arrived the crowd went into a frenzy and ululation to welcome him. When he spoke, he urged his supporters to maintain peace, you could feel the passion, the commitment to a peaceful campaign, and his love for the south c people. I was impressed and I wasn't alone.

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The south c MCA race has attracted many aspirants, and a huge chunk of them are in the Azimio ticket and this is owed to the fact that south c has been a perceived ODM zone traditionally. Apart from Abbas Khalif and Osman Khalif the current MCA, other spirants for the ODM ticket in the upcoming nominations are Faiza Omar and Wakili Mohammed among many others. Nonetheless, the mother of all battles is between the two Khalifs, the incumbent Osman Khalif Abdi and the Abbas Ibrahim Khalif, two former friends cum political foes. But that's just about where the similarities between these two Khalifs end. Whereas Osman has been detached from the electorate ever since he was elected to the Nairobi County Assembly, Abbas has been a constant presence on the ground, if not him personally its one of his many agents posted almost every corner of south c, scouring for votes, talking to the residents, solving issues that could be solved there and then, while noting those that required legislation to solve for future reference once he clinches the seat.

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Personally being a south c resident for the last ten years, I can't remember the last time we had such a down-to-earth, readily available candidate for the MCA's post. We have always had to contend with the mediocrity of selfish candidates out to just get our votes and then disappear till another election cycle, and line up their pockets through extortion of real estate investors by imposing illegal taxes and bribes. But not this time around, most residents feel like they own this candidate, they feel at home with Abbas Khalif. He came late into the race but already his presence has been felt all around south c. A spot check in almost all business sectors confirmed that three out of every five business entities has been visited by either Abbas himself or his men and women on the ground. I talked to bodaboda riders, mama mbogas, shopkeepers, and even youths on the sprawling 'jobless corners' in South c and all of them had one rallying call, "Abbas all the way".

This had me thinking and I sought to find out from these people, why Abbas, why not Osman? And the answers were varied and shocking in equal measures. South c residents are a bitter lot, angry with their leader, and this just doesn't even begin to describe their anger. Appalled, nauseated even, by some of the things Osman has done, and those that he hasn't done. 

"We elected a greedy leader, you can't even build a toilet in your house without him sending his goons to your property for bribes, this guy even asked for a bribe from masjid Alsalam for them to erect a minaret at the mosque, huyo ni shetani!!" Said an angry resident, Amina Omar. 

"The rain seasons are here now, and the south c core issue of floods is still an issue, five years down the line" lamented Nyabuto, a bodaboda rider. 

The more I talked to the residents the more I realized how pissed off they were with their current leader, from water scarcity to lack of consultations and his absence from the ground to his being inaccessible and unavailable to the people, punda amechoka!! Those I talked to pointed out that they will use the ODM nominations to show Osman the door very early in the morning. They said, despite Abbas being just an aspirant, in the few months he has been campaigning he has supported many youth groups by getting them equipment to start up businesses, built various bodaboda shades, automotive garage sheds, and bought them equipment for their businesses, and supported many other schools going kids by paying their school fees. I asked them, what if this was just Abbas campaigning, and maybe when he gets the seat like many politicians they will never see him again? All of them were confident that Abbas, going by what he has done, the projects he has initiated, some complete and others ongoing, was going to be different from his predecessors, never before has an electorate been so confident in their leader as they are now. And that's why I believe it's a new dawn for south c, time has come for change, time for Abbas! And that's why I believe he is set to clinch the seat come August 9th in this year's general elections.