East African Legislative Assembly member Suleiman Shahbal has declared that he will contest in the August 2027 General Election, signalling a return to the political arena after years of speculation over his next move.
“In no uncertain terms, in August 2027, whether they like it or not, I will be on the ballot! Change must come!” Shahbal said.
The declaration adds fresh weight to speculation over Shahbal’s political plans as Kenya moves towards the 2027 elections.
Shahbal, a former Mombasa gubernatorial candidate, has remained active in Coast politics since abandoning his 2022 bid for governor and backing Abdulswamad Nassir, the eventual winner of the Mombasa contest.
He later apologised to his supporters over the decision, saying in February 2026 that he had carried a sense of guilt over stepping aside without consulting them. He also said he had faced pressure to withdraw in favour of Nassir.
His latest remarks suggest that he does not intend to repeat that decision in 2027.
Shahbal has built much of his political profile around calls for change in Mombasa. The phrase “Change must come” was central to his previous campaigns and has remained a recurring theme in his political messaging.
In January 2026, Shahbal also warned that political parties could lose public support if they failed to uphold internal democracy. He said Mombasa needed a new political direction, pointing to unemployment and other economic challenges facing residents.
Shahbal is currently serving as one of Kenya’s elected members of the East African Legislative Assembly. The regional Parliament lists his current term as running from December 2022 to December 2027.
He was among the nine Kenyans elected to EALA in 2022 after Parliament voted on nominees presented by the political parties.
His return to the ballot would revive a political career that has already included two attempts at the Mombasa governorship. He first contested the position in 2013, losing to Hassan Joho, before making another bid in 2022 and eventually stepping aside.
For now, Shahbal has not publicly specified in the statement which position he intends to seek in August 2027.
But his message was clear: he intends to contest.
The declaration could set the stage for another closely watched political contest at the Coast, where questions over leadership, jobs, economic opportunity and the future direction of Mombasa are likely to remain central to the campaign.
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