Mombasa-based tycoon and politician Suleiman Shahbal has offered support to county Governor Hassan Joho in his quest to provide food to over 200,000 households in the county affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Shahbal, a Jubilee allied politician and an investment banker reckoned that Joho’s plan to mobilise food resources for 227,000 Mombasa residents is sound and he will help him through Gulf African Bank where he is the CEO.
“What the county government is proposing is fantastic. It is a noble initiative that will cushion the most vulnerable members of society who have to work on a daily basis during the curfew,” he said.
He added: “I also promised that I would do everything to support his (Joho’s) efforts to arrange food assistance for those who will be affected by the shutdown. I have also spoken to the Managing Director of Gulf African Bank and we have agreed to provide funds to help with the food drive. I urge all people of goodwill to come out now and support this drive to arrange for food supplies.”
Before starting the Gulf African Bank, Shahbal worked as the Head of Private Banking for Citibank in Gulf and Yemen.
He is credited with starting of banks in India, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia when he worked as the Deputy General Manager overseeing international operations at the ankMuscat SAOG in Oman.
With the dusk to dawn curfew imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus, many residents in Mombasa especially those in in the informal sector risk dying of hunger.
So far, 50 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
