Lamu Senator Abu Chiaba at a past event. Photo/ the-star.co.ke
When drama unfolded at Malindi High Court in July 2013 after a Lawyer claimed that Lamu Senator Abu Chiaba is not a Kenyan, the veteran politician was not bothered. After all he has been in the game for long.Since coming to parliament in 1992 as Lamu East MP on a KANU ticket, Chiaba has honed his political skills and is now one of the longest serving MPs in the country today.Though he failed to defend his seat in 1997, the 2002 elections gave him an opportunity to redeem his dwindling political fortunes. Since then, the 60-year-old has never looked back.For a region that overwhelmingly voted for Raila Odinga's ODM in 2007, Chiaba easily defended his Lamu East seat on a PNU ticket.The 2013 election provided another opportunity for Chiaba to test his political might and he managed a narrow win garnering 15,086 votes against his closest rival Hassan Abdallah who got 14,688.With the August poll just four months away, the soft-spoken Chiaba could be headed for another comfortable victory considering the huge following Jubilee Party is enjoying in the area.Little-known Monica Njambi who is making her political debut is reported to be Chiaba's political nightmare.Running on a platform of youth empowerment and economic transformation, Njambi is expected to outsmart the old guard who is accused by his opponents of using outdated political rhetoric.Despite the many political realignments, many political pundits are backing Chiaba to romp to a convincing victory come August and extend his supremacy in Lamu politics by another five years.