Likoni MP Mishi Mboko is undoubtedly one of the veterans in Mombasa politics and her mastery of the county's political landscape has enabled her to survive survive for long even as she eyes a third term come next election.
The once LDP political activist joined elective politics in 2007 when she contested the Likoni MP seat seat. However, her journey was cut short after being floored in the ODM nominations by Masoud Mwahima. She did not give up as she went back to the drawing board and waited for her time.
She would later come back strong in 2013 when she contested the Mombasa Women Representative seat. She trounced her opponents for the ODM ticket en route winning the March 4 contest by a landslide.
And from there, there has been no looking back. Coincidentally, her newfound political clout coincided with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's growing influence in the region's politics. And the two became close friends.
With the then Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima defecting to Jubilee, she pounced on that opportunity and challenged him for the seat which she won during the 2017 election. In the process, she became the first ever female MP to win the Likoni seat even as her popularity soared.
When Mombasa MPs recently declared their support for Deputy President William Ruto in his 2022 presidential bid, the lawmaker has kept off the debate even as she remains a true Joho disciple. Her tactic may work as she doesn't want to rattle her local support base in ahead of the next election.