Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has raised alarm over the removal of voter awareness billboards in Mombasa County.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 7, the legislator said the incident occurred on the night of April 6, revealing that three billboards were forcefully brought downn
According to Ali, the billboards had been erected in Buxton, Ferry, and Kibarani areas within Mombasa County.
"Three outdoor billboards carrying a civic message encouraging voter registration that I lawfully procured through Magnate Ventures and other licensed vendors, were forcibly pulled down following intimidation and threats directed at advertising operators," he said.
Ali accused Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir of being behind the destruction, adding that the intimidation had extended to digital advertising platforms.
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"I have further been informed that similar threats have been extended to operators of digital screens across the County, warning them against airing an animated version of the same message.
"Vendors have pointed to pressure emanating from within the County Government led by Governor Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir," he added.
According to Ali, the content displayed on the billboards was purely civic and aimed at encouraging voter participation, not political division.
He condemned the incident, terming it a violation of constitutional rights and an attack on civic space.
"The pulling down of billboards with such civic messaging is an outright abuse of power and the suppression of civic space. It violates our freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 33 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to communicate ideas, particularly those of public interest.
"It further suppresses voter awareness efforts in the Coast as a futile attempt to maintain the historical low voter registration levels in the region. This deplorable action also infringes on the rights of private businesses as advertising vendors are being intimidated and threatened for simply engaging in legitimate commerce," he further said.
Ali also criticized entrenched political systems in the county, saying leaders would push back against practices that undermine citizens’ rights and participation in governance.
"For so long, Mombasa has been run by people who assume that the whole county is their family affair dictating how private entities operate and how the common mwananchi lives. The county has been milked dry at the expense of Mombasa people," he explained.
Ali called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to take action, and urged residents to remain alert.
"I hereby call upon the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently investigate and intervene in what is clearly interference with legitimate voter registration awareness efforts.
"The people of Mombasa to remain vigilant. This is not about one candidate-it is about your right to choose leadership freely," he concluded.
Elsewhere, this comes months after Ali dismissed what he described as a coordinated smear campaign against him, accusing unnamed political actors of recycling propaganda tactics that Kenyans have grown accustomed to and no longer believe.
In a statement on Wednesday, February 4, the MP responded to a fake quote attributed to him, saying the content was fabricated and intended to mislead the public.
"We know this handwriting all too well. Next time, when you task your bloggers with such propaganda, at least get them to craft something believable," he said.
The journalist turned politician added that such tactics would not succeed, noting that voters are increasingly alert to manipulation.
"Smear campaigns won’t work this time round. Hao munaita wajinga, basi wamezinduka!" he said, implying that the public is no longer naïve and can easily spot fabricated narratives.
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