Outgoing Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba at a past political rally. [Photo: Hassan Joho/ facebook.com]
Outgoing Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba has found himself in a political dilemma after a shock loss in the just-concluded elections.
The ex-GSU officer was the man to beat in the race that shaped up into a two-horse race pitting him against Wiper candidate Ali Mbogo.However, he was defeated by Mbogo, a political debutante who ran on a Wiper ticket after defecting from ODM, citing fears of being short-changed during the party nominations. Bedzimba would later get a major boost in his re-election bid when the Orange party handed him direct nomination.Prior to the elections, Mbogo, a businessman, had initiated various development projects in the constituency, which might have helped him tilt the political scales in his favour.Kisauni constituency has been under ODM since 2007 and the 2017 shock loss will force the giant party to go back to the drawing board to strategise on how to upset the status quo.For Bedzimba, the next five years will be for him to go back to the drawing board as he makes plans on how to turn the tables in 2022. However, his solid relationship with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho may earn him a place in the county government, in a bid to ensure he remains relevant until the next polls.