Kenyan artist Kevin Kioko, popularly known as Bahati, recently made a significant announcement regarding his political aspirations. He declared his intention to run for the position of governor in the upcoming elections during a performance at Zetech University. During this event, he also assured the students that he plans to return to the university to complete his degree as part of his preparations for the upcoming elections.
It should be noted that Bahati has not yet disclosed the specific county in which he intends to run for the position of governor. However, it is widely speculated that he is considering challenging the incumbent Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja, in the 2027 elections.
Bahati, best known for his hit song “Adhiambo,” shared his aspirations with the audience, saying, “I failed to secure the MP seat I had previously vied for, but now that I’m running for governor, I will return to this university to earn my degree.” He engaged with the crowd by asking if they wanted him to enroll at Zetech University, which was met with an enthusiastic response. Bahati then proceeded to delight the audience with a spirited performance.
Bahati’s foray into politics has been marked by both ambition and challenges. In the 2022 August elections, he initially sought the Mathare MP seat under the Jubilee party banner but faced defeat. He ended up in a distant third place in the highly competitive race, with the incumbent MP Anthony Oluoch of ODM emerging as the winner and Billian Ojiwa from UDA securing the second position.
The election was clouded by allegations of favoritism within the Azimio camp, leading to Bahati’s emotional press conference in which he claimed that he had been denied the Jubilee party ticket in favor of Oluoch from ODM.
Despite these obstacles, Bahati persevered and competed in the election, ultimately securing third place with 8,166 votes, while Oluoch retained the seat with 28,098 votes, and Ojiwa received 16,912 votes. Subsequently, Bahati disassociated himself from the Jubilee party and joined President William Ruto’s UDA.
He publicly expressed his regrets to the President and acknowledged the disappointment he had caused. This transition marked a significant turning point in Bahati’s political journey.
