Kaya elders ask Mvurya, Joho to join Kingi’s party
Charles Lwanga
Mijikenda Kaya elders have called on the Coast political leadership to support Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi’s newly formed Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) political party to champion the region’s interests ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Kaya elders drawn from the Mijikenda tribes of Giriama, Chonyi, Jibana, Kambe, Ribe, Kauma, Rabai, Duruma and Digo said joining Kingi’s political outfit was the only way the region could consolidate the region’s votes and increase their bargaining power in the future elections.
Speaking during the annual Chenda Chenda festival to celebrate the Mijikenda culture at Magarini Cultural Centre also attended by Kingi, former Malindi MP Lucas Maitha and former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe, the Mijikenda Elders Association chairman Mwinyi Mwalimu Mrisho also told Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Kwale’s Salim Mvurya, who come from populous counties, to be at the forefront in advocating for Coast unity through the regional outfit to push for the area’s agenda at the national table.
“Amason Kingi has sacrificed himself to come up with a political party, it is our passionate appeal to Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, Salim Mvurya who is one of the leaders in Coast together with Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Tana River leaders to come together and push for the unity of the region,” he said adding “a Coast-rooted outfit is the only way to go to enable the region benefit from the national cake.”
New political outfit
In the last General Election, Joho and Kingi, who are serving their final terms were re-elected on ODM party ticket, while Mvurya, who is also serving his last term, was re-elected on Jubilee Party ticket in the 2017 General Election after ditching ODM party which propelled him into the gubernatorial position in the 2013 General Election.
Mrisho also called on Taita Taveta governor Granton Samboja, Dhadho Godhana of Tana River and Lamu’s Fahim Twaha to embrace the new political outfit as it was time the region had its own political outfit to push its agenda.
He said it was strange that other regions were forming political parties during every elections without interference compared to the Coast region which usually faces opposition to divide the people whenever leaders come together to unite to push for the regional political agenda.
“As the chairman of the Mijikenda Kaya elders association, I urge coastal residents to listen to my advice and unite to ensure we speak in one voice in the coming General Election,” he said and called on Coastal leaders together with the national government to facilitate them to begin a peace campaign all over the region ahead of the elections.
Mijikenda Kaya elders association coordinator Tsuma Nzai said elders from the nine Mijikenda tribes are in full support of the formation of Coast-rooted political outfit and they have settled on PAA to propel the regional political agenda.
“We want Coast political leaders to come together so that the region vote as a block in the coming elections,” he said.
He added: “The unity cause which seeks to fight for the welfare of all Coast residents irrespective of tribes, race and gender will also ensure the region remains peaceful in each and every election while benefiting from the national table.”
Historical land injustices
Maitha said Kingi should lead in the regional parties’ plan and assured him of full support to ensure the region is united and votes as a block.
“If other regions are strategising the Coast region must do the same by coming up with their own political outfit,” he said adding: “I wonder why whenever the region comes up with a political party, it is seen as a tribal outfit yet other regions are doing the same.”
Kingi has on several occasions been in the spotlight for controversial debates such as secession, historical land injustices, economy and the need for the Coast region to chart its own political destiny.
The governor, through Giriama slogan ‘Tufe rehu’ meaning a traditional football, later began an initiative of uniting the region starting with the Mijikenda community before extending to other communities to enable the region to chart its own political destiny during the 2022 General Election.
