Coast MPs tell off Cord principals for dropping Mung’aro as Whip

Coast MPs have dismissed appointment of Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu as the new minority Chief Whip insisting their choice still remains the Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro.

Speaking after holding an hour’s private discussion at Bahari Beach Hotel in Mombasa, the 14 MPs drawn from all the six counties challenged the coalition leadership to tell them why the declined to endorse their choice.

“On Tuesday during the Cord Parliamentary Group meeting we were told to meet and select one of our own to replace Mr Mung’aro for undisclosed reasons.

But when we met the following day and decided to retain him because there were no charges preferred against him,” they said.

NOT LEAVING CORD

Through their chairman, Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori, the MPs said they would not leave Cord or their respective parties saying they would only do so after consulting their electorates.

“Those telling us to quit are missing the point. The point here is that our decision on Munga’ro was rejected by the principals who in their wise decision picked Mwadeghu for the same position without our consent,” they said.

Rabai MP William Kamoti (ODM) said they were protesting their principals’ decision because it went against their wishes to have Mung’aro as the minority Whip.

According to him, Mr Mung’aro should have been given a chance to explain himself before the principals made their decision.

He complained that the Kilifi North MP was not given a fair hearing saying the principles of natural justice called for one to be given a hearing before issuing a judgment.

PREFERRED WHIP

The Kilifi women representative Aisha Jumwa Katana questioned where the name of Mr Mwadeghu came from saying they had proposed Mung’aro’s name as the preferred minority Whip.

“Where they got Mr Mwadeghu’s name is still a puzzle to us and we would like them to clarify that,” she said.

Asked whether they would stop cooperating with the Jubilee government, Kilifi South MP Mustafa Idd said it was not a ‘sin’ to work with the government for the benefit of their people.

On what action they would take if the coalition ignored their demands, Mr Idd said that would decide after consultations with the people of the region.

“When you drop Mung’aro you have dropped the people of the coast so we will go back and seek their views before we take action. But you must know we have many options,” he said.