President William Ruto has publicly urged Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal to abandon his bid for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat in favour of his business ventures, including a new Sh12 billion special economic zone deal.

• President Ruto believes Shahbal can better serve Kenya through job creation and investment rather than elective politics.
• The intervention comes as Shahbal recently stated his intention to run for governor in 2027, having stepped down in the 2022 election.
• The Sh12 billion deal involves Shahbal's GulfCap Group and DP World to develop a 535-acre Special Economic Zone in Jomvu.