‘HOW A PHOTO WITH RAILA ODINGA RUINED MY LIFE’ BUSINESSWOMAN SASHA MBOTE NARRATES

Businesswoman Sasha Mbote has recalled how life took a threatening twist after taking a photo with Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 2017.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with content creator Lynn Ngugi, the entrepreneur with interests in the hotel and beauty industry narrated how she met the former premier at Park Hyatt Hotel, where she had gone to have some good time off work, and she was having some drinks.

She stated that after seeing Raila and his entourage enter the hotel, she was elated and shouted his name, after which she was invited to greet him and talk the night away. She used the once-in-a-lifetime chance to ask for a photo with the veteran politician as proof of ever meeting him and she was determined to show them to her family members and her internet community on social media.

“I screamed – Oh my God! Baba! He stood up and shook my hand, and he introduced me to his people. I told him my parents will not believe that I met you, can I please take a picture with you?” She said.

“Jimi Wanjigi said bring your phone. He is your Baba, Baba wa Kenya. I brought my phone, and he took the pictures. Baba asked where I was sitting, and he told me to join them,” she added.

Sasha further stated that she disclosed to Raila her intentions to share the photos on the social platforms, and he had no objections, but the bodyguards later instructed her while she was leaving to post them later the following day after taking off from the island.

“When I reached the gate, his bodyguard called me and told me not to post the pictures at the time because it was a political season, but I could post the following day from 10:30 am when they leave Zanzibar,” she recalled.

The Maridadi Tours managing director posted the photos as instructed and proceeded on a 700km business trip to Arusha after switching her phone, but she was utterly shocked after turning it on when she arrived. She found several attempted calls and hundreds of threatening messages with allegations that she was masquerading as Raila’s hooker to tarnish his mighty political name.

She pointed out that some media houses also fuelled the same false information, landing her deep into trouble with people who were threatening to kill her. At one point, she even battled suicidal thoughts due to depression.

“I always tell people this, if my mother and father doubted my dignity, I would have killed myself. As much as I was putting up a face, I was broken inside,” she said. She added that Zanzibar’s police also searched for her on grounds that she had disregarded the local code of conduct.