Gospel musician Kevin Bahati has opened up about a private approach made by the late Raila Odinga during the 2022 Mathare parliamentary race, revealing that the opposition leader asked him to withdraw from the contest and offered him a job in return.
Speaking at a formal event in Nairobi on Friday, 6 November 2026, Bahati, whose full name is Bahati Kioko, said he turned down the offer without hesitation, arguing that he was already one of the most financially successful musicians in Kenya and had no need for employment.
”I sing, and most of my musician friends can agree that I’m still one of the most paid artists,” he said, explaining why a job offer held no appeal for him.
Bahati on Raila and the 2022 race
Bahati spoke respectfully of the late Raila Odinga, opening his remarks with a tribute to the departed politician.
He explained that Raila had a vested interest in the Mathare seat because his ODM candidate, Anthony Oluoch, was competing for the same position.
Rather than stand down, Bahati pressed on. He noted that many voters had not even been aware he was on the ballot, yet the Mathare community still turned out to support him.
Despite campaigning for only three weeks, he received more than 10,000 votes, a tally he described as proof that his connection with the constituency is genuine.
”Na mi naona nilifanya kazi mzuri sana, 10,000 votes in three weeks,” he said.
Bahati’s 2027 campaign plans
The singer used the same stage to formally announce his intention to contest the Mathare seat again in 2027.
He told the audience he had already been on the ground campaigning for four months and planned to continue for another full year before the election.
Bahati made the case that Mathare had never before had a candidate who was born, raised and schooled within the constituency, arguing that all previous MPs had been outsiders.
He positioned himself as a true son of Mathare, saying the community deserved someone who had lived its realities firsthand.
”Today you can call me mtoto wa Mathare,” he declared.
His stated priorities for the constituency centred on three areas: job creation for young people, improved healthcare access, and education as a tool for empowering children.
He linked crime in Mathare to unemployment and political neglect, promising to shift that narrative if elected.
He also introduced his wife at the close of his remarks, drawing the event to a warm conclusion.
