The 2017 election was probably the year for the journalists in Kenya to take the country’s politics by storm which saw many of them clinch elective positions against many people’s expectations. Kaloleni MP Paul Katana was one of them.
A seasoned journalist, Katana quit his job at Nation Media Group to try his luck in the murky world of politics. At first, it looked like a big shot for him. However, armed with confidence, he was determined to overcome the treachery.
His first political break came when he clinched the ODM party ticket which he was to use to oust the incumbent Gunga Mwinga who in 2013 defied all odds to win the seat on a KADU Asili ticket.
The former scribe would later edge out the incumbent with a resounding win as he was officially ushered into the world of politics.
With the anti-ODM wave starting to sweep across the Coast region, Katana is emerging as a key figure in that group that could have a bearing on 2022 politics.
Further, his closeness to Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho puts him right at the center of Coast politics.