After bursting into political limelight in 2007 when she was nominated to Parliament by Kalonzo Musyoka-led Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya, Shackilla Abdalla was headed to political greatness especially in a male-dominated political scene.
As a political toddler, she mastered the game with Kalonzo as her mentor. And heading into 2013, Abdalla was ripe enough to throw herself into the ring and test her huge political muscle.
Riding on her newfound political clout, she clinched the Lamu Women Representative seat, the seat that she won convincingly despite facing fierce competition. She brought a tsunami-type effect that would shape up the region’s politics in future.
Within Wiper, she became an influential figure which saw her promoted to become the deputy party leader. This just underscored her growing political influence.
Going into 2017 election, she was a favourite to win back the seat. However, an unexpected happened as she was trounced by Jubilee Party candidate. Her ambitious political journey had been cut short by a greenhorn that has now left her career on a knife-edge.
With four years remaining to the next election, what next for the former ‘iron lady’ of politics? Will she recover or is she about to be consigned into the political dustbin?
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