The Cushite community residing in the coastal County of Mombasa have declared their unequivocal support for President Wiliam Ruto’s re-election in the August 10, 2027 General Election.
The communities of Somali, Rendille, Borana, Gabra, Burji, and Oromo said the Kenya Kwanza Administration deserves another five-year mandate, owing to the progressive policies being implemented.
The Cushitic forum at Serani Sports Grounds on Sunday featured registration desks for national identity cards and the Social Health Authority (SHA), attracting a strong turnout from residents.
The forum was attended by Mombasa Governor, Abdulswamad Nasir, Mombasa Woman Representative, Zamzam Mohammed, Members of Parliament, Mohammed Adow (Wajir South), Hussein Barre (Tarbaj) and Mohamed Abdikheir (Lafey) and Mombasa County Speaker, Aharub Khatri.
The leaders reiterated their unwavering support for President Ruto and the Broad-Based Government as the country races towards the high-stakes 2027 General Polls.
During the high-profile gathering, speaker after speaker appreciated the strides the president is making in the country’s development agenda, noting that the Cushite community is dedicated to the peaceful coexistence of all Kenyans and the progress of the country.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS), Aden Duale, who led the community that mostly inhabit the arid and semi-arid regions of northern Kenya, declared that with the incumbent President the country was in safe hands.
Duale urged the Cushitic communities to participate actively in Mombasa’s democratic processes by voting and fielding candidates, to strengthen their representation in leadership.
During endorsement of President Ruto’s leadership, Duale called for greater unity and integration among communities, as a foundation for social and economic progress.
CS Duale called on all and sundry, to throw their weight behind the Presidents’ re-election bid, citing his achievements in the past four years in the field of health, education, agriculture, infrastructure and energy cannot be overemphasized.
“The Cushite community that has endured decades of marginalization since independence in 1963, will throw their weight behind the incumbent in the upcoming presidential elections,” he declared.
Duale said by unanimously endorsing President Ruto for a second term, the Cushitic community is cognizant of the fact that continuity remains essential for sustaining the developmental strides currently being witnessed across the country.
He declared that northern Kenya is witnessing visible and measurable achievements from the national government including the nationwide housing programme which is expanding access to decent homes while creating new, well-planned urban communities.
He said the Cushitic communities have declared their alignment with the President’s ‘Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda’.
Duale said the BETA agenda has delivered significant change across various sectors of the economy, with the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Affordable Housing Programme (AHP), emerging as its most notable successes.
He highlighted measures and projects by the current Administration, including the removal of vetting requirements for citizenship and travel documents, the Lamu–Mandera road corridor, Affordable Housing initiatives in northern Kenya and the expansion of UHC through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Duale cited the registration of more than 32 million Kenyans under SHA and the disbursement of more than Sh200 billion to health facilities, supporting hundreds of thousands of surgeries.
The health minister, who was accompanied by a retinue of leaders from northern Kenya and the coastal region and the national government, said massive road construction networks are ongoing in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera with positive effects on the economy.
He said the road construction network, including the Isiolo–Mandera Road Project, a 750-km gateway corridor spanning northeastern Kenya, will tackle the longstanding regional development hurdles.
Duale said other projects include the Sh60 billion 500-kilometer Lamu-Garissa-Isiolo Road project aimed at opening up transit and regional integration, the new Sh1billion Garissa Bridge to improve transport mobility and secure trade routes during floods, the ongoing expansion and upgrade of Garissa Airport at a cost of Sh710 million and the Sh 700 million Wajir airport upgrade.
“Communities in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera who have been in the dark since independence are now being connected to the national grid,” he said and appealed for Kenyans to be patient as all the efforts of the President’s Administration will soon begin to manifest.
He added, “President Ruto’s Administration needs stability and continuity to complete its development agenda.”
Governor Nassir said his vision is a Mombasa where every community belongs, and no one is locked out of opportunity because of their background, religion, ethnicity, gender, or where they come from.
The Coastal County Boss affirmed his support for President Ruto’s emphasis on building a Kenya in which every community has a place and every citizen can participate in the affairs and opportunities of the nation without discrimination.
“There were times when entire communities were viewed through suspicion, with the Cushitic communities often subjected to profiling and stigmatization,” he said.
He went on, “The Kenya we want is one where our diversity is our strength, rights belong equally to everyone, and every community has a meaningful stake in our shared future.”
Nassir said his administration will continue opening doors, building bridges and bringing people together citing that the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has recently recognized Mombasa’s County Public Service for its diversity, compliance and inclusivity.
By Hussein Abdullahi
