Mombasa Cement has refuted claims that it is sponsoring Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA party in Mombasa.
The cement firm, whose philanthropic boss Hasu Patel has been transforming Mombasa through his beautification projects, on Friday said it is apolitical.
“We are not in politics. Nobody should link us with UDA, ODM or Azimio. We do not participate in politics. Our operations are geared towards helping the needy,” Patel said.
The Mombasa Cement feeding and beautification program director Imtiaz Sayani spoke at the Tudor Miracle Park, which is one of the beautification programmes they have undertaken.
Speculation has been rife in Mombasa that the cement firm may be leaning towards Ruto’s UDA owing to its colours which resemble those of the party.
However, Sayani on Friday said the Mombasa cement colours have been the same since before UDA was formed.
“The colours have nothing to do with politics,” he said.
This is not the first time the firm has been linked with politics.
When Patel was putting up perimeter walls around government installations and public schools in Mombasa free of charge, speculation started that he is interested in the Mombasa governor seat, a matter he refuted.
The speculations are also fuelled by the fact that two of the firm’s employees are contesting political seats in Mombasa through the UDA ticket.
Mohamed Amir, an employee of the firm and a step brother to Governor Hassan Joho, is eying the Mombasa senator seat on a UDA ticket.
Another employee, Samir Baloo, is also contesting the Tudor MCA seat on a UDA ticket.
Political observers say the two are most probably being financed by the firm, a matter Sayani refuted.
“The decision to vie for any political seat is a personal decision and we have no right to tell anyone whether to vie and on what ticket.” he said.
“This is a personal, democratic and constitutional right that everyone has. We cannot interfere with someone’s personal choices, especially when they are constitutionally entitled to them.”
Patel has also been linked to the candidature of Sanjeev Agarwal, an eye specialist who is eyeing the Mombasa governor seat, also on a UDA ticket.
However, both Agarwal and Sayani have denied the links to the DP Ruto led party.
Sayani said politics is the last thing in Patel’s mind. BY THE STAR