Uhuru bags Rai, preaches unity in Coast campaign

By TOBIAS CHANJI      

The National Alliance (TNA) party through its leader Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta campaigned in Kwale County.

The area is perceived to have bore the brunt of historical injustices, especially grabbed land by allies of former regimes.

Uhuru’s visit also saw the defection of Kinango MP and Lands Assistant Minister Gonzi Rai, who announced he joined  TNA.

Uhuru did not talk much about land issues, but based his speech on national unity.

He landed in Ukunda where there was a ready convoy that escorted him by road to Kinango town where he opened a TNA office before addressing wananchi.

“We should preach peace everywhere as leaders and shun those who divide us on ethnicity, race or religion. It is because of these vices that our region has always remained behind,” he said.

Uhuru noted that youths formed a huge percentage of the population and faced similar problems.

If elected, Uhuru assured Kinango residents that he would be a frequent visitor of the Coast just like his father,  the late Jome Kenyatta, had been.

He asked locals to elect good governors who would work for the good of everyone.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged the youth to seek solutions to their problems amicably through legal means, as peace was bigger than anything else.

“Taking pangas (machetes) and slashing people is not the way to go. Kenya is for us all to build. There are some who said that I am not for devolution when I was the Finance minister.  But remember when I was in that ministry I was the first one to devolve money for health centres, schools, and markets in every constituency,” he said.

Regarding chiefs, Uhuru castigated any doubts that the offices will be abolished but assured they would be restructured to suit the new dispensation.

He said Parliament would enact laws to guide the office, allaying fears that the provincial Administrators would face the sack.

Rai, who was also Ford-People vice-chairman, declared that his party had decided to back TNA as it had no presidential candidate.

“In 2002 and 2007 I vied on a Ford- People ticket and now I have decided that come March 4, I will vie for the parliamentary seat on a TNA ticket. Hard times call for hard decisions and that’s why I am saying on this 25th day of October what I have decided. We have talked with (Henry) Obwocha and my councillors and that’s the way to go,” said the assistant minister.  Rai also recently said before ODM leader Raila Odinga that he would work closely with the party.

Earlier, he had pledged allegiance to Cyrus Jirongo.

Welcoming him to the party, Uhuru promised to work with Rai closely so that everyone’s rights were achieved.

Though he has been making various visits in other counties of the coastal region, residents claim that Kwale was always been left out of his list. Many of the land problems are in southern part of the county made up by Matuga and Msambweni.