Joho and Kingi hint at forming home-grown Coast party

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi Wednesday re-united to chart the coast's political future and hinted at forming a political party to push for the region’s agenda ahead of the 2022 elections.

The 175 out of 206 MCAs who attended the meeting, which is seen as a way of locking out Deputy President William Ruto and other presidential hopefuls from making inroads at the coast, also agreed to push for locals to benefit more from the port of Mombasa.

LAND PROBLEMS

The leaders are to further use the President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nasa leader Raila Odinga political truce to push for resolution of land problems at the coast, unite locals and revamp the Jumuiya Ya Kaunti za Pwani (coastal counties economic bloc).

“We resolve to work towards attainment of coast unity. In this regard, we further resolved to continue engaging broadly with all coast politicians and other coast stakeholders on the way forward for coast region,” the resolutions, read by Puma MCA James Dawa from Kwale County, said. The deliberations were dubbed: “Pwani Kwanza Resolutions.”

PRESIDENCY

Mr Joho and Mr Kingi, who are both interested in vying for the presidency, met the grassroots leaders at Pride Inn Flamingo Beach Resort. The ward representatives said the region needs to be in the national politics negotiating table, adding that locals will no longer be just followers.

The two, who had been reading from different scripts since Uhuru-Raila hand-shake before being re-united by Mr Odinga last week, said the region will decide collectively whether to form a party or not.

Before yesterday’s meeting, Mr Kingi had been vouching for formation of a party to use to vie for the presidency while Mr Joho has been keen on riding on ODM’s huge support countrywide.

Mr Kingi, who met Coast MPs in Kilifi two weeks ago, had also expressed willingness of teaming up with Mr Ruto while Mr Joho vowed to work with the DP’s foes to hinder his ambitions.

ENTICING COAST

Mr Ruto, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi have been seeking to entice Coast 1.7 million voters to back them.

But yesterday, the MCAs, Mr Joho and Mr Kingi resolved that a meeting of all governors, senators, MPs and MCAs from the coast is slated for September 7 in Kwale to be hosted by Governor Salim Mvurya to deliberate on the region's politi-cal direction.

“We are focused to ensure that we are united as a region and we will take a politi-cal decision as a region as we approach 2022 but, for now, our main aim is to consolidate the region and ensure we address matters that will bring economic prosperity,” said Mr Joho.

UNITE RESIDENTS

On his part, Mr Kingi, who expressed commitment in uniting coast residents, said: “What we are involved in is a process and we will get to decide on the formation of the party after getting views from our people.”

“We should not lie to ourselves that 2022 is far. How we approach the election year will be determined by how united we are,” said Mr Kingi.

Mr Joho said it was time for the region to use President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga’s camaraderie to push for their interests.

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

“This time this region will be different. We have a unique opportunity. Raila and Uhuru have come together with an agenda of building bridges where there is no 2022 agenda. We must be in that conversation,” he said.

In an apparent reference to some MPs from the region who have vowed to sup-port Deputy President William Ruto, Mr Joho: “Sometimes I ask myself when a leader forgets that he represents the people. One should look at his people when speaking and know what their problems are. They said that the MCAs will not turn up and here they are now.”

Mr Joho noted that the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani, an economic bloc bringing together six coastal counties, remained a pipe dream as a result of divisions among leaders.