Joseph Haule alias Professor Jay contested for Member of Parliament (MP) position for Mikumi constituency in 2015 and won. The rapper-cum-musician is now eying Tanzania’s top seat.
Professor Jay became the first contemporary musician in East African to vie for MP seat and won. A year later in 2016 Bobi Wine won Kyaddondo East constituency seat and in 2017 Kenyan singer Jaguar won Starehe constituency seat.
Bobi Wine became the first East African musician to announce his presidential bid. The first term MP wants to challenge incumbent president Yoweri Museveni come 2021 Uganda’s general election.
Similarly Professor Jay has announced his presidential bid, the Mikumi MP however didn’t say whether he will challenge President John Magufuli in Tanzania’s 2020 general election.
“My people are telling me to aim higher, and don’t ever get shocked if you hear I am running for the presidency. It is very possible. If people voted for me as MP, why should they not vote for me as President?” said Professor Jay during an interview with Dizzim Online.
Professor Jay was elected on opposition party CHADEMA ticket. President Magufuli will be seeking re-election on CCM party, CHADEMA is yet to find a candidate who will square out with Magufuli in 2020 poll.
Speaking of musicians joining politics, Professor Jay said that;
“When I was rapping back in the day, people asked me whether I was going to be a politician and I would always refute. I was singing what I felt. I came to know that what I was preaching, I would go and do it in action. I never knew I would be a politician. I was saying it on behalf of other people. In the beginning, I was doing it for my fans, but now I’m doing it for the citizens. God had planned it for me. I think other artistes will finally get into politics. Leadership has now started through art.”
