Tension as Nassir faces a crowded race of six gubernatorial aspirants

The race for the Mombasa governor seat has heated up with East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) legislator Suleiman Shahbal and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secretary-general Hassan Omar defying President William Ruto’s plan to zone the county in favour of ODM.

The two have vowed to be in the crowded race in a bid to unseat governor Abdulswamad Nassir and have already stepped up their campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election.

Others in the race are former Nyali MP Awiti Bollo and Nyali MP Mr Mohamed Ali, who have intensified their campaigns against Mr Nassir.

The names of former Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo and former Rift Valley regional commissioner Mr Mongo Chimwaga have also featured in Mombasa politics.

Bollo has claimed the Nassir administration has run down the health, education and waste management systems and vowed to revamp the coastal city to promote trade and tourism.

“The systems in the city are not working. The health sector, solid waste and sewers have been neglected. Almost every sector has failed,” Bollo, Vibrant Democratic Party (VDP) party leader, argued.

Ali has vowed to unseat Nassir and President Ruto, vowing to address alleged corruption, particularly how big tenders are awarded, and correct how the county government is being run. He is part of the Wiper Patriotic Front and an ally of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua.

While serving as Kisauni MP in 2022, Mbogo paired up with former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko to run for the Mombasa governor seat, but they were stopped over the latter’s impeachment challenges.

Omar has intensified a voter registration drive in Mombasa, urging coastal residents to register in large numbers as he seeks to challenge Nassir for the second time for the county's top seat. In 2022, he came second when he contested on a UDA ticket.

Omar and Shahbal have defied President Ruto, who openly supports Governor Nassir and has appealed to his competitors to back the county chief.

Omar, Shahbal and Nassir have been drumming up support for President Ruto's re-election but maintained their rivalry.

Omar said the Kenya Kwanza administration and the broad-based government had delivered development and ensured equitable distribution of resources.

He described Nassir as a one-term governor and accused his administration of failing to adequately address challenges like garbage collection, which has become an eyesore to Mombasa residents.

Shahbal cautioned against stopping aspirants from running in preference for other politicians, saying this is undemocratic and unacceptable.

“Nobody should choose leaders for Mombasa residents. They should be left to go for their best choice,” Shahbal said, as the time has come for change in Mombasa County.

In 2022, ODM leader the late Raila Odinga convinced Shahbal to step down for Nassir even as he promised to nominate him as an EALA member. He vowed last week that he will not leave the seat for anyone this time.

He told the supporters he will soon unveil the party he will run on during next year's general election.

Shahbal complained that in the last general election he stood down for Nassir out of respect for Raila, but he would not listen to President Ruto, who recently publicly told him to shelve his plans to take on Nassir.

He unveiled an education and youth empowerment agenda, pledging to allocate Sh50 million annually to each of Mombasa's 30 wards for youth empowerment programmes if elected governor.

Shahbal also proposed establishing one-stop community centres in every ward to support education, nurture talent and help address drug and substance abuse among young people.

In a meeting with Christian clergy, Shahbal said improving education and creating opportunities for young people would be central to his administration, while urging religious leaders to encourage parents to prioritise university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses.

The competing campaigns point to an increasingly active contest for the Mombasa governor's position, with aspirants seeking to mobilise voters while presenting different approaches to education, youth empowerment and development.