Mung’aro shrugs off ouster as parliamentary group boss

Kilifi North MP Gideon Munga’aro on Thursday dismissed a move to kick him out as the Coast Parliamentary Group chairman, saying he was ready to lead a splinter group.

Mr Mung’aro dismissed Wednesday’s elections as a sham and said he was still the chairman.

“How can they call a meeting behind my back?” the Kilifi North MP asked during an interview on the phone from Nairobi.

“I am the chairman and the only one mandated to call such a meeting,” he added, accusing his unnamed political detractors “from Mombasa” of instigating the “coup”.

On Wednesday, 19 out of the 33 coast MPs voted out Mr Mung’aro and Lunga Lunga’s Khatib Mwashetani, who ditched the opposition and have been working with the ruling Jubilee coalition.

Mr Mung’aro was replaced with Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga of Kadu Asili, while Mr Mwashetani’s post was taken over by Voi’s  Jones Mlolwa.

The two MPs are part of a group of opposition legislators in the region who have rebelled against Cord and shifted allegiance to the ruling Jubilee coalition.

The pair spearheaded the campaigns for Jubilee candidate Phillip Charo in last week’s Malindi by-election won by ODM’s William Mtengo.

Mr Mwinga campaigned for his party candidate, Mr Reuben Mwamure, who got only 300 votes.

'INDUCED WITH MONEY'

Wednesday, Mr Mung’aro claimed MPs were “induced with money to attend the illegal election,” saying he knew the politician behind his woes.

“They are obviously my political enemies from Mombasa,” he said, but declined to name them, saying “everybody knows them”.

Mr Mung’aro said he was not notified of the meeting either through a letter or SMS.

“My group is intact. It’s OK if there is another CPG led by Mr Mwinga and the one led by Mr Mung’aro. If someone wants to be led by Mwinga, let them go but I will lead my group as if nothing happened,” he said.

Kinango MP Gonzi Rai yesterday claimed the meeting that removed Mr Mung’aro was attended by 15 MPs, not 19 as reported. 

The National Alliance, which makes up Jubilee with the United Republican Party,  dismissed the coup as an ODM affair.

“I discussed the issue with some of the MPs, including Mr Mwinga  and Mr Hassan Mwanyoha (Matuga) asking them to abandon their mission and let Munga’ro continue as chairman,’’ said Mr Rai.

“As their senior, I spoke my mind and told them that this was the wrong time to be divided so soon after the Malindi by-election. I told them to reject this divide-and-rule tactic.”

Meanwhile, Mr Mwinga  has outlined his vision, saying his first assignment as the new CPG boss is to unite all MPs.

“We have a big task ahead of the General Election, which is development of the Coast.”

Mr Mwinga, a lawyer, said he would lead “a vigorous campaign’’ to ensure some of the pledges that the government made in 2013 were fulfilled.

“Fulfilment of electoral promises on development and economic empowerment has been slow and this is worrying us,’’ the MP told the Nation.