Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has set out his reasons for believing that President William Ruto will win a second term in 2027, pointing to unity, inclusivity and strategic political outreach as decisive advantages.
Speaking at a public event in Mombasa on Saturday 10 August, the Orange Democratic Movement deputy party leader praised the president’s efforts to embrace diverse communities along the Coast. Nassir said these moves had significantly expanded Ruto’s political base in a region once considered firmly opposed to him.
He recalled that in past years, some residents had been denied identification documents and told they were not recognised as belonging to the area. “But President Ruto gave us IDs. That is the first reason,” he said.
Nassir described a political shift from division to inclusion, noting that he and former Mombasa governor Hassan Joho had once publicly rejected Ruto’s leadership but later accepted his outreach. “Mombasa is home to people from all ethnic groups, which makes unity a powerful electoral advantage,” he said.
By 2027, Nassir predicted, the opposition would face a difficult arithmetic problem, resorting to propaganda and divisive rhetoric in the absence of a winning strategy. “They know they cannot win, so they will come with propaganda, lies and the language of division,” he warned.
The governor also backed the government’s plan to compensate victims of past protests, describing it as a step towards reconciliation and justice. He called for unity to be extended to addressing historical grievances.
In a pointed message, Nassir urged former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua to abandon what he termed the “cousin narrative”, which he argued was aimed at misleading coastal residents. “He is trying to deceive us, but we are united,” Nassir said.
His remarks underscored growing political realignments in the Coast region, suggesting that bridges built across party lines could shape the 2027 contest.
