Coast leaders face off over referendum calls

The push for a referendum appears to have split Coast politicians right down the middle as two camps emerge on either side of the campaigns.

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho is leading one brigade that yesterday maintained that the calls for a referendum were meant to ensure that counties received adequate funding for local development.

On the other hand, Garissa Town MP and House Majority Leader Aden Duale joined seven Coast MPs at a separate rally in Kwale where they opposed calls for a referendum. At the Duale meeting, Kwale Senator Boy Juma stood his ground that he supported the referendum calls even as others present opposed the pitch and said matters could be resolved through Parliament.

Mr Joho said that he is supporting the referendum to rescue his “cash strapped county”.

“I want the referendum because I need money to pay workers we inherited from the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council,” Mr Joho said at a rally at Bomu Primary School grounds in Changamwe Constituency.

“We cannot bootlick asking for more money. It’s not a selfish cause but a bid to salvage our economy,” Mr Joho said. He is also battling to have the Mombasa Port brought under the county government. He wondered why his county was not receiving the proportion of money commensurate with the taxes raised there.

“I also want to make it clear that I don’t regret voting for Raila Odinga and I will vote for him in 2017,” Mr Joho said.

PUT ON NOTICE

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar put on notice rebel Cord leaders who have refused to support the referendum campaigns and promised them a titanic political battle.

“We don’t care about them. We shall meet them at the ballot during the referendum. Coast people who are behind this drive will send them packing,” Mr Omar said. The senator said the rebels would face unspecified consequences.

Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi supported the position that the referendum would pave way for “adequate funding” for the counties.
He also called for respect across the referendum debate divide.

“Cord is not opposed to the Jubilee Government or disrespectful to President Kenyatta,” said Mr Mwinyi. “We want them to also respect our leader Raila Odinga. We shall not be intimidated by name-calling being directed at us.”

Mombasa County Women’s Representative Mishi Mboko said that devolution would not succeed without proper funding which, she added, was the basis of their push for a referendum.

“We will support the government where it is doing well but we will not support it where it is not being fair to Kenyans,” said Ms Mboko.

Kisauni MP Rashid Benzimba said: “Counties cannot create jobs for the youth and other Kenyans because of limited funding.”

In Msambweni, Mr Duale yesterday criticised Mr Boy, saying he is misleading Coastal leaders in supporting the referendum push.

Speaking during a mosque funds drive at Sawa Sawa grounds in Msambweni Sub-County, Mr Duale said that, as a veteran politician, Mr Boy should be a good example to other leaders.

Mr Duale said that the referendum is just a waste of time and there is no way that those who are propagating it will succeed.

“For the referendum question to succeed, it must have the support of 24 County Assemblies while for us, we have support from 27 of them,” he said.
He asked locals to shun those advocating the push, saying they are just a bunch of political failures.

He added that the likes of Mr Odinga and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka were once in government and have no business stopping other leaders from working with the government.

“If you want to know the truth about Raila Odinga, just ask me and Ruto because we used to work with him and we know him very well,” he said.

The Majority Leader claimed that Mr Odinga was an American stooge who was being used to propagate American ideologies in the country. He did not elaborate.

SUPPORTED REFERENDUM CALLS

Earlier, Mr Boy said he could only work with the Jubilee Government on developmental issues but would, on the other hand, support the referendum push.

“All those people have spoken very good things on development but on the issue of referendum, I fully support it and I am ready to append my signature if you have the books here,” he said.

However, the seven MPs who attended the function opposed the referendum push, saying it would not assist the region in its development programmes.

Lungalunga MP Khatib Mwashetani dismissed the crusade, saying that it is just a waste of time since changes could be made in the National Assembly without incurring any expenses.

“Politics of development is what Kenyans want and not politics of distraction or violence,” he said.

Kilifi County Women’s Rep Aisha Juma asked the Cord and ODM leader Odinga to put his house in order, claiming that those surrounding him were alienating the former PM from other leaders within the coalition.

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro cautioned Coast leaders and locals to be wary of the referendum issue, saying it might be a trap. Coast people should speak with one voice, he said.

Reports by Galgalo Bocha, Farouk Mwabege and Mwakera Mwajefa