Comedian Jasper Muthomi, popularly known as MC Jessy, has opened up about the significant financial investment he made during his political campaign for the Imenti South parliamentary seat.
Despite ultimately losing to the Jubilee Party’s Shadrack Mwiti Ithinji, Jessy disclosed that he spent approximately KSh 58 million on his campaign. In a new interview with SPM Buzz, Jessy underlined the value of funding and careful planning in the political sphere.
He stated that his campaign spanned 12 months and, while he didn’t spend billions or even half a million, the financial commitment was substantial and personally felt.
“I campaigned for 12 months. My friends supported me and I didn’t spend KSh 1 billion or even half a million. But I spent money. My pocked felt it. I used about KSh 58 million. A campaign requires strategy. I lost it to the candidate who was smarter than me.
I was competing with a 71-year-old billionaire. Somebody who has vied for the seat four times and this was his first time. Perhaps he just beat me this time due to sympathy and not manifestos and strategies. His money also helped him because he spent 10 times what I spent,” he said.
Jessy’s revelation is a reminder of the high cost of running for political office in Kenya. It is also a reminder of the importance of strategic planning and resource allocation in political campaigns.
