Nassir rejects one-term calls, says Coast region won’t fight political battles
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has dismissed the ongoing push by opposition leaders for President William Ruto to serve only one term, urging residents of the Coast region to avoid being dragged into political wars that do not serve their interests.
Speaking in Msambweni on July 6, 2025, Nassir warned that some leaders advocating for the “one-term” agenda were the same individuals who had previously marginalised the region when they held power.
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He cautioned residents, especially the youth, against being used as political tools to advance personal vendettas.
“I’ve heard some people shouting ‘one term, one term’—but we must pause and reflect: who are these people really?” Nassir posed.
“The ones shouting ‘one term, one term’—that kind of talk can easily stir up emotions, especially among the youth. But I want to ask you this: the person telling us ‘one term’—that language, that agenda—it’s his own battle. He doesn’t have good intentions for us,” he added.
Marginalisation
Nassir recalled how those now supporting the agenda had previously dismissed Coast residents by claiming they lacked political power and had excluded them from national decision-making processes, including resource management related to ports and land.
“When things were going well for him, we were told we are not shareholders in this country. During the good times, we were told our mothers didn’t give birth to enough children. We were told others had the numbers—not us,” Nassir recalled.
He questioned why coastal communities should now bear the burden of political battles for those who had previously disregarded them, especially when the region has its own pressing development issues.
“Now that things are falling apart for him, how is it that we’re being asked to carry other people’s battles on our backs? We have our own burdens to bear—issues like youth employment, port matters, and land rights,” he asserted.
2027 elections
Nassir urged coastal residents to remember their past experiences of marginalisation and make informed decisions in the upcoming 2027 general elections based on the interests of their region, rather than emotional appeals.
He emphasised the importance of registering in large numbers as voters to ensure their voices are heard through the ballot.
“How is it that we’re being asked to fight battles for people who, when they were in power, only looked down on us?” he questioned.
“This language of telling us we don’t have numbers, that our mothers didn’t give birth to enough children—this time, let us respond by going out in large numbers to register and vote,” he rallied.
