Bahati Allegedly Turned Down Sh50 Million Offer To Drop Mathare MP Bid

Singer Kevin Kioko aka Bahati claims he was offered Sh50 million to withdraw from the Mathare parliamentary contest.

In an interview with Radio Citizen on Wednesday, Bahati said that his rivals had been pressuring him to step aside.

“They have offered me millions, up to Sh50 million. They know that when they get to the office they will regain the money,” he said.

He also revealed that he was offered a State appointment if he stepped down in favour of the incumbent Anthony Oluoch.

Read: Bahati Out of Mathare Parliamentary Race As Azimio Settles For MP Oluoch

“But I am not looking for a job, I am earning a living from my music,” he said.

Bahati claimed his opponents had come up with alternative plans to remove him since he could not be compromised.

He mentioned Oluoch as among those who asked for his support.

“He told me to do a campaign song for him and support him. They want to use a person from Mathare to get to the people,” added the hitmaker.

Read Also: Jubilee Finally Nominates Singer Bahati for Mathare MP

Bahati expressed concern at the fact that one cannot have trustworthy friends in the political arena.

“I miss genuine friends, in politics, you seat with a friend who says what they do not mean. Most politicians are not genuine,” the Mtoto wa Mama crooner said.

In addition, he disclosed that he had a meeting with the Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, to plan his victory despite internal party strife.

In order to determine how the community would win the seat, Kalonzo allegedly called a meeting with Kamba candidates in the area at his Karen house.

Read Also: Showdown Looms As Kalonzo Hints At Waita Dropping Machakos Gubernatorial Bid

He emphasized that the leaders had taken note of the Wiper leader’s community’s size in Mathare and had decided to support the strongest candidate as a result.

“Kalonzo is our leader and the Kamba vote in Mathare is very important. We met a week ago in Karen and looked at how we can support one candidate from Ukambani, where I was selected,” he stated

Ben Milali, a candidate for Wiper in the region, reportedly made a pledge to the Azimio Chief Cabinet Secretary-designate that he would resign and back Bahati’s campaign.

The performer admitted that he had been asked to run for the Mbooni parliamentary seat but turned it down because he was more interested in helping the Mathare community.

Read Also: Nzioka Waita Claims Ukambani Politicians Pressuring Him to Drop Gubernatorial Bid

“I feel more at home in Mathare, the people here understand me just as I do them. I want to serve them and that is the reason I have refused to drop my parliamentary ambitions,” he elucidated.

With Mathare ear-marked for ODM, Bahati became the first casualty of the zoning plan. According to the deal, Orange Party and Jubilee would each receive 8 constituencies, while Wiper would receive just one.

Azimio defended the action, saying that they will field the strongest candidates to guarantee the most possible representation in parliament. The young musician is adamant that he is the people’s favorite.