The decision by Masoud Mwahima to ditch ODM in 2016 was perhaps a telltale sign that his political career was about to hit a bumpy stretch as his grip on Likoni politics was ended by Mishi Mboko in the 2017 election.
The former MP who had reigned politically in Mombasa for over three decades was elected Shika Adabu Councillor in 1988 and rose to the position of the Mayor in 1999.
He won the Likoni MP seat in 2007 on an ODM ticket as he sent home the incumbent and Cabinet Minister Suleiman Shakombo even as his popularity soared.
He easily defended the seat in 2013 after edging out Shakombo for the second time. But his defeat at the hands of Mboko in 2017 has left him in an awkward political dilemma. Not even the the petition he filed challenging the win could save him as it was dismissed.
To compound his troubles, he has not landed a soft landing in the new President Uhuru Kenyatta government. However, the recent political truce between Uhuru and NASA principal Raila Odinga can save his political career as the traitor tag that cost him the seat is now a thing of the past.
He may be down but not out. Mwahima could bounce back strong in 2022 and reclaim his lost glory. After all, he has mastered Mombasa politics for long.