Watch out for Abdulswamad Nassir, his star doesn't seem to dim........

I do not hold any brief for the Hon. Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir Mvita MP and this assessment is based purely on the instincts of a communicator. As an old journalist, the last time I covered Nassir was in 2003 in an interview that was organized by Tobby Otum, the then Coast Province Basketball Executive. Otum who popularized basketball in the Coast the nineties is now a journalist and is popularly referred to as “Chairman” because he now advocates for the “interests” of journalists to news sources. Since then we have never crossed paths with Abdulswamad except when he gave dates to be given to people in my former workplace Baraka FM.

However, I have closely followed his political path and I believe this is the new kid on the block and he is the man to watch as he rises to become the new coast political supremo. Like a chip off the old block, Nassir a scion of the late long serving cabinet minister Shariff Nassir Taib, the young Nassir seems to carrying the same bag of tricks that was used by his father to endear himself to coast people. Abdulswamad who refers to his father as “Teacher and Mentor” has moved to consolidate support both in his Mvita constituency and the coast in general.

The soft spoken politician has a way with the people. Faced by rising extremism in his Majengo backyard, he moved to involve local people and leaders in the fight against extremism and perhaps based on the realization that extremism hurts locals more than it does to government. He has since then held a series of meetings with the people and true to form; he may be having a way that might prove to be the key that might unlock the extremism wave, which has been a headache to government and the business community in Mombasa.

The grassroot people’s approach won him Mvita MPs seat where he vanquished Mines Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala. He had already started holding consultative meetings and prize giving ceremonies with the people long before Balala could chose which side he was to vie with. By the time the elections were held, this was just to confirm him as the area MP

The MP also cuts himself as sober, persuasive and always ready to side with justice. He condemns and supports in equal measure. He for example has done well in censuring Government for its role in the rise of extremism and perceived extra-judicial killings. He has on the other hand asked parents to be more responsible and ensure that their children do not engage in extremist acts. He also did well defending Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro who was dethroned from the ODM chief whips position. The words he spoke may not have gone well with ODM chiefs whom he accused of stifling internal democracy.

Perhaps, his greatest strength is his ability to use the media both conventional and social to his advantage. As an owner of a local radio station, and a publication to boot, he has the ensured that local people around what he supports. Still he uses the social media well and currently in Coast Province, I think he is among the politician with an impressive online presence, the other one being Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.

These attributes indicate that this is a man who is not just contented with being an MP and has more up his sleeves. Though I cannot confirm, the grapevine already says that there exists a wedge between him and some leading political figures in Mombasa due to his perceived rising star and ambition. Knowing Abdulswamad Nassir, his highly constructive complexity as seen in his public speech and based on the people based approaches, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that this scheming politician will be the guy to watch in Coast politics.