Photo/FILE Mauga MP Chirau Ali Mwakwere.
By MWAKERA MWAJEFA mwajefa@ke.nationmedia.com AND BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, November 12 2012 at 00:30
Posted Monday, November 12 2012 at 00:30
Coast leaders were at the weekend sharply divided over the inclusion of former Tourism minister Najib Balala in the G7 Alliance.
Supporters of Mr Balala and his political rivals, Environment minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere and Medical Services assistant minister Kazungu Kambi, traded accusations of incitement, with each camp claiming to be speaking for the region.
On Sunday, Mr Khamis Ali Domoko, who is eyeing the Likoni seat, told off Mr Mwakwere and Mr Kambi saying they did not have the people’s mandate to choose leaders for them.
“Seriously speaking what the minister and his colleague uttered can be described as hate speech,” he said in Mombasa.
Flanked by Likoni Kaya Elders, Mr Domoko asked the two leaders to preach unity and peace ahead of the elections.
He said Mr Balala did well as Mombasa mayor and Tourism minister and should be allowed to lead the alliance’s campaigns in the area.
“Leaders should stop misusing people for selfish ends because when Mwakwere and Kambi joined URP they never consulted anybody so where did they get the mandate to decide for us about Balala?” he posed.
Bomu Kaya elders from Kaloleni constituency asked the ministers not to incite the residents against Mr Balala.
“We are shocked to hear two of our sons making utterances that can cause disunity among the coastal people,” said Mzee Pekeshe Simba Wanje.
But a group calling itself Coast Women and Youth G7 Alliance supported the claims by Mr Mwakwere and Mr Kambi that the Mvita MP lacked clout even in his own constituency.
“If leaders of the pre-election coalition want numbers in this region, Mwakwere and Kambi should remain put and not allow an opportunist like Balala to elbow them out of their roles as coastal kingpins,” said the group’s spokesperson Rose Nganga.
Mr Balala was last week appointed to lead the G7 campaigns in the province by Mr Uhuru Kenyatta (TNA) and Mr William Ruto (URP). But this upset Mr Mwakwere and Kambi, who threatened to lead the Mijikenda out of the alliance.
“We as Mijikenda leaders will not accept Mr Balala to be the Coast leader in the G7 political pact. We cannot accept to play second fiddle, not any more,” said Mr Kambi.
He asked Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to pick a Mijikenda for the job.
Mr Mwakwere said Kaya elders had warned him against working with Mr Balala in any coalition. “We were ordered by Kaya elders and Coastal people that we must not accept Balala in G7 or any political alliance,” Mr Mwakwere said on Friday.
Meanwhile, there are reports that turf wars are delaying the signing of the G7 alliance pact. Mr Ruto is said to be reluctant to put pen to paper until he completes talks with Mr Musalia Mudavadi of UDF and Kalonzo Musyoka of Wiper.
This has upset New Ford Kenya’s Eugene Wamalwa and Narc’s Charity Ngilu who want a quick deal.
It is claimed that Mr Wamalwa and Mrs Ngilu want the deal signed to lock out Mr Mudavadi and Mr Musyoka.
But Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo dismissed the claims on Sunday.
“When we joined, we wanted the entire (Kamba) community to be part of the coalition because we knew he was there. We are surprised that he has bolted out,” he said on phone.
URP’s Charles Keter said they were not party to Mr Wamalwa and Mrs Ngilu’s talks with TNA.
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