FILE | NATION Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) members during a recent press conference in Mombasa where they joined hands in the war against hunger. The MPs, however, are wary of calls to forge a united political front but support the idea.
By DANIEL NYASSY dnyassy@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, August 22 2011 at 22:00
Posted Monday, August 22 2011 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- But legislators remain sceptical and wary of bid to front single candidate for next year’s election
Mvita MP Najib Balala has received rare support from a section of his Coast colleagues on his plans to form a political party.
Members of the Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) supported the idea of forming a Coast-based political party. However, the group criticised the manner in which Mr Balala was doing it, saying he did not consult his colleagues.
CPG assistant chairman and Malindi MP Gideon Mung’aro described Mr Balala’s idea as “noble” but it should have been done with intensive consultation with his colleagues in the region.
“We are all for such an idea but we want more consultations. Mr Balala cannot make it alone or decide on something that affects the coastal people then wake up and announce it in the Press. He should cultivate the culture of consultation,” he said.
Mr Mung’aro said local legislators had met a number of times under the CPG to deliberate on unity ahead of 2012 elections, but this was not supported by all the 22 MPs.
“We have discussed the issue of Coast unity as MPs and made some progress. But it was not enough. We need to come together more, chart the way forward for the region for the benefit of Coast people,” he said by telephone on Monday.
Mr Balala has announced that he would soon launch a Coast-based political party with a national outlook and one that should front a presidential candidate by 2017.
However, Fisheries Development minister Amason Kingi is less enthusiastic and more critical of Mr Balala’s move. He still believes the Coast unity is a pipe dream, elusive and a mirage unless “drastic change of spirit” takes place among local leaders.
He said he had once tried to realise this but failed miserably.
“I have devoted a lot of my time and energy to bring this unity. I have met former minister Marsden Madoka, minister Chirau Mwakwere, assistant minister Kazungu Kambi, Mr Mung’aro, Mr Balala and many more others. But what did I get? Nothing,” he said.
He criticised Mr Balala for making “roadside pronouncements” over serious issues instead of consulting his colleagues first.
“The idea, however, is good for we need a strong political party for the Coast. But the way it is introduced is totally wrong. First we need elaborate consultations,” said the minister.
He said having a political party in itself does not guarantee unity in the region as already there were Shirikisho and Kaddu Asili parties.
He accused his colleagues of betraying coastal people by yielding to “outside forces” that were always hell-bent on dividing them.
“Has anybody stopped to wonder how a Cabinet minister can go to an airport, assemble traditional dancers and actually dance with them to welcome an MP from another part of the country?” he asked, in apparent reference to Mr Mwakwere who welcomed Eldoret North MP William Ruto at the Malindi airport recently.
He said all Coast leaders who joined PNU in the last elections were traitors, as the region had always fought for majimbo (devolved government) while PNU was anti-majimbo.
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