Deputy President William Ruto ( Photo Courtesy)

With only two years remaining to the next general election, Coast region politics is taking shape with the region's bigwigs seemingly switching camps.

The new political developments in the region played out openly on Friday when the DP traversed Mombasa County in a bid to swing the pro-ODM county into the hustler nation formation.

During his high profile meeting of Mombasa, his close associate and key ally Suleiman Shahbal, was conspicuously absent. Why?

Shahbal, a two-time Mombasa Governor candidate has been seen as the DP's main man in the region.

In the run to the 2017 general election, Shahbal was President Uhuru Kenyatta's point man in Mombasa. And even after losing the election to Hassan Joho, he appeared to gravitate to the Ruto axis. But this has suddenly changed.

Mombasa tycoon and politician ( Photo Courtesy)

The decision by Shahbal to skip Ruto's meeting on Friday could be a pointer that the Mombasa tycoon is considering his political future away from the "hustler".

Over the last few months, Shahbal has met ODM leader Raila Odinga on several occasions. He has also had a handshake deal with Joho.

Shahbal is understood to be keen to succeed Joho. And to do that, he will have to play his cards well. Perhaps, part of his game plan is to distance himself from Ruto.

Well, whatever the case, Ruto has every reason to be worried. If Shahbal has done him for Raila, then he has a long way to go in his bid to dislodge the ODM chief in Mombasa.

Content created and supplied by: FrankMurunga (via Opera News )