During his heydays, former Likoni MP Suleiman Shakombo was a political force in Mombasa. But the former Culture and National Heritage Minister now find himself in an awkward political position after failing to recover from his 2007 election loss.
A key cog in former President Mwai Kibaki's 2007 presidential winning machine, Shakombo nearly ran a one-man campaign team for the PNU candidate and literally forgot to campaign for himself. He lost his seat to ODM's Masoud Mwahima and since then, life has never been the same again.
He tried to reinvent his career in 2013 by throwing himself into the ring but just like in 2007, ODM was the party to beat and Mwahima carried the day once again. His choice of the party (TNA) once again cost him the seat.
In 2016, in what was seen as a consolation, he was appointed Kenya Petroleum Refinery board chairman by President Uhuru Kenyatta. However, his appointment was revoked almost immediately.
In the run to the 2017 election, keen to shed off the traitor tag, he joined ODM- the region's most popular party. But his stay there was short lived as he decamped to Wiper. The former Minister was to face off with ODM's Mishi Mboko and his longtime political nemesis Mwahima. And once again,ODM carried the day as Mboko won with Shakombo coming a distant third.
Just as he had done in the past, he once again defected from Wiper.And this time round to Jubilee. But for now, he is yet to land any government job. His future in Mombasa politics seems sealed.