As the political tides at the Coast shift toward a unified front under President William Ruto , Nyali’s Mohammed Ali is rowing in the opposite direction.
By openly challenging the President’s two-term agenda, Mr Ali has transformed into the region’s most prominent political outlier, defying a growing consensus among local leaders to remain a fiercely independent voice in a crowded pro-government field.
While political leaders, including Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, have folded into a chorus of loyalty to the Kenya Kwanza administration, the former investigative journalist popularly known as Jicho Pevu is carving out a path of high-stakes defiance as he eyes the Mombasa gubernatorial seat in 2027.
Positioning himself as a lone dissenting voice, his return to the political scene after a two-year medical sabbatical has sent shockwaves through the local UDA ranks. As the chorus of loyalty surrounding the President's 2027 strategy grows across the Coast region, he is instead calling for a focus on performance-driven politics rather than political kingpinship.
"The era of political kingpinship is over," he declared, taking aim at both the national government’s regional strategy and the local leadership's obsession with hero-worshipping power brokers.
Mr Ali’s refusal to align with the regional pro-Ruto bloc is a calculated gamble. While other leaders are lobbying for positions for the 2027 general election, the MP is framing his dissent as a struggle for the soul of Mombasa.
Outlining his development achievements in Nyali constituency during his two terms of leadership, the legislator argues that the current political alignment at the Coast is built on theatrics rather than service delivery. During this period, as patron of the Nyali National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), he boasts of overseeing the construction and upgrading of several public schools as well as the construction of feeder roads.
Explaining his distance from regional colleagues, he remarked with characteristic wit: “A lion does not walk with a sheep, and neither does a cock walk with chicks.” This, to him, justifies his absence from regional caucuses that have recently pledged unwavering support to the Head of State and Mr Joho, who is considered the regional kingpin.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Instead of aligning with the wave, the Nyali MP has launched what he calls a third political alliance. By rubbing shoulders with opposition figures like Kalonzo Musyoka , Martha Karua , and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua , he is signalling that his loyalty is not to a party, but to people who walk the talk.
“The constitution allows me to walk with anyone. You saw me taking tea with Mr Gachagua and Mr Musyoka. I am looking for a development-oriented alliance,” he said.
Recently, Mr Gachagua who leads the united opposition said his Democracy for Citizens Party, and Mr Musyoka’s Wiper will decide on which party Mr Ali will use to vie for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat. However, he urged the residents to support Mr Ali, saying he is the best fit candidate for that seat.
Mr Ali also hinted at a potential partnership with the emerging alliance of young politicians led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
The second-term MP accused past and current Coast leaders of intentionally neglecting education to keep the electorate subservient. Echoing Nelson Mandela’s famous stance on empowerment, the MP argued that while others offer temporary handouts, a quality education is the only permanent gift capable of liberating the children of the poor.
"Since independence, our leaders have never invested in education. They invested in partying. Instead of taking the children of the poor to school, to change their fortunes and sit on the same recruitment table alongside those of the rich, they decided to bring you dera, leso and packets of maize flour and kill your generation," he said.
The lawmaker stressed his commitment to educational reforms by reflecting on the dire state of infrastructure he inherited. He recalled that in 2017, a constituency boasting a population of over 300,000 and 124,000 registered voters was served by only one public secondary school: Maweni.
“Today, Nyali has more than 15 schools, including Mwembeni primary and secondary wings in Kongowea, Kengeleni, and Pentrose,” Mr Ali noted.
He issued a blunt challenge to his constituents, urging them to break the cycle of hereditary poverty.
“I have told Nyali parents: do not raise your children to be poor. If others can raise engineers, doctors, and professors, so can you,” he said.
Mr Ali attributed the friction between him and other regional leaders to his refusal to participate in what he termed hero-worship. He slammed colleagues who prioritise political survival over public service, accusing them of being beholden to local gods.
“Instead of working for the people, you spend your time hero-worshipping tycoons because you think they hold the keys to the county’s political direction,” he said.
He particularly took aim at a recent threat by Coast politicians to form a splinter party if Mr Joho is not recognised as the regional kingpin. The leaders are pushing for the CS to represent Coast at the negotiating table with President Ruto and other national leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“The voters do not want kingpins; they want development. While they are busy announcing ‘Sultans,’ I will continue to focus on building schools and hospitals for the people,” he said.
By contrasting his focus on education and healthcare with his colleagues' loyalty to kingpins, Mr Ali is attempting to dismantle the traditional power structures ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial race.
He dismissed the current rush by Coastal leaders to establish a new regional party, characterising it as a backdoor tactic for political survival. He argued that Kenya is already saturated with political parties and that the focus should be on integrity rather than new outfits.
“They are threatening to form their own party, but it is just a vehicle to clinch positions through the back door. You clung to Raila Odinga for political survival for long. Now that he is no longer there to shield you, let us meet at the ballot,” he said.
The MP drew from his own political history to bolster his "lone wolf" status. He recalled the 2017 elections when he was denied a party ticket in ODM, despite his claims that Mr Odinga personally held him in high regard.
Forced to run as an independent candidate, he defeated Mr Joho’s cousin, Said Abdalla, to win the Nyali seat at a time when ODM was immensely popular in the Coast region.
A similar trend was observed in 2022, when he retained his seat through the UDA party, emerging as the only MP in Mombasa elected on the UDA ticket. All the other five legislators in the county together with the governor, senator, woman representative, and the majority of Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), are ODM members.
“Mombasa must decide between leaders who come and go with nothing to show, or leaders who come to make the people grow,” Mr Ali said, concluding by asserting that the city’s struggle for liberation from "shackles of political theatrics" is nearing its dawn.
He challenged Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to show tangible development projects completed in the last three years, accusing the administration of failing to utilise the county's budget.
Dismissing calls from critics to run for office in his rural home, the MP dared his rivals to a showdown at the ballot.
