{
  "id": 7258057,
  "title": "Shahbal reveals what Raila told him at Joho’s house before 2022 Mombasa gubernatorial race withdrawal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/shahbal-reveals-what-raila-told-him-at-johos-house-before-2022",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T06:31:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/inside-politics/shahbal-reveals-what-raila-told-him-at-johos-house-before-2022-mombasa-gubernatorial-race-withdrawal"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Suleiman Shahbal, a Mombasa gubernatorial candidate, disclosed the circumstances surrounding his withdrawal from the race in 2022, which led him to support Raila Odinga's presidential bid. The decision was made after a meeting at former Governor Hassan Joho's house. During the meeting, Odinga invited Shahbal to join him at the national level, offering him a Cabinet position focused on industrialisation, manufacturing, and investment. Shahbal, however, remained committed to Mombasa and believed that addressing the county's issues would benefit the nation as a whole. The situation was further complicated when then-President Uhuru Kenyatta, who supported Odinga's presidential bid, also contacted Shahbal. Ultimately, Shahbal withdrew from the race on April 15, 2022, allowing Nassir to secure the ODM ticket. The businessman expressed that the decision was painful as he had built a campaign around supporters who had invested their hopes in his candidacy. Two years later, Odinga reportedly apologised to Shahbal during a meeting in Addis Ababa. Now, Shahbal is re-entering the race for Mombasa governor ahead of the 2027 general election, rejecting calls to abandon his latest bid.",
  "summary": "Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shahbal has revealed details of a meeting at former Governor Hassan Joho’s house in 2022 that he says ultimately led him to withdraw from the race and back Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir. Shahbal said the meeting brought together circumstances that eventually forced him to choose between continuing his campaign for Mombasa governor […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "Shahbal: Half of Mombasa businesses are dying",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/shahbal-half-of-mombasa-businesses-are-dying",
        "published": "2026-09-14T05:08:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}