Shahbal Quits ODM, Defies Ruto to Push Mombasa Governor Bid
September 2026
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member Suleiman Shahbal has walked out of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and confirmed he will contest the Mombasa governor’s seat in 2027, with or without a party ticket. The businessman made the announcement days after President William Ruto publicly urged him to abandon elective politics altogether.
NTV Kenya reports that Shahbal described his exit from ODM as a “friendly divorce”, saying the party had made clear it would not nominate him for the race. He said he is now preparing a new political outfit that he plans to unveil soon, and that whether or not he has an ODM ticket, he intends to be on the ballot, since “we have our political party which we will unveil soon”.
Why Shahbal Left ODM
Mwakilishi.com’s report notes that Shahbal said he was ending his long association with ODM after accusing unnamed political figures of manipulating party structures and zoning arrangements to keep him out of the contest. He has not named those he blames, so the allegation stands as his own claim rather than a confirmed fact.
Shahbal argued that voters, not party bosses, should settle the matter. He asked, “Why can’t you allow the electorate to decide?”, saying it should be voters rather than political leaders who determine who leads the county. Mwakilishi’s coverage adds that his departure from ODM leaves open questions over how he will build a political base outside a party that has dominated Mombasa politics for more than a decade, given he has previously sought office through Wiper and Jubilee.
The decision marks a sharp turn from 2022. Per the Daily Nation’s coverage, Shahbal withdrew from that year’s gubernatorial contest after interventions by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and the late ODM leader Raila Odinga, eventually backing Abdulswamad Nassir, and his withdrawal at the time drew widespread condemnation from the support base he had built. Nassir went on to win that election and remains the sitting governor.
Ruto’s Public Appeal
President Ruto raised the matter himself at a State House event this week, where he signed a Sh12 billion deal between Shahbal’s GulfCap Group and logistics firm DP World. NTV Kenya’s report states that the agreement covers development of a 535-acre Special Economic Zone in Jomvu, Mombasa.
At that same event, Ruto argued Shahbal’s talents were better spent in business than in politics. He told Shahbal directly that he was “a great entrepreneur”, framing his advice as coming from a place of respect rather than opposition to Shahbal personally. The Eastleigh Voice’s report notes that Ruto’s intervention lands against a politically sensitive history between Shahbal and incumbent Governor Nassir, who are again linked to the 2027 Mombasa governor contest.
Shahbal pushed back firmly. He said he respected the president’s position but disagreed with it, insisting that in 2022 he had only stepped aside because refusing “would amount to disrespecting the President” and other senior leaders who intervened. This time, he said, that pressure would not work the same way, declaring that “only God and the Mombasa people will stop me” from running.
Race Takes Shape
Ruto stopped short of backing anyone in the race. NTV Kenya’s report adds that the president did not endorse any particular candidate, with the emerging field including Shahbal, UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar, and incumbent Governor Nassir, who remains in ODM.
Shahbal has already begun sketching a platform. Citing his own remarks, Mwakilishi.com reported that among his proposals is an annual allocation of Sh50 million to every ward for grassroots projects covering health, youth, women and security, which he says would improve development at ward level. He has also ruled out any Cabinet appointment, saying his focus remains on transforming Mombasa county.
What happens next depends largely on how fast Shahbal can register and organise his promised new party before nominations open for 2027. Whether Mombasa voters reward a candidate who once folded under pressure from Kenyatta and Odinga, or whether ODM’s grip on the coast proves too strong for a breakaway bid, is the open question this contest now has to answer.
