Coast politicians root for a regional political party

Plans by Coast leaders for the region to chart its own political path is gaining momentum, with reports indicating that discussions are revolving around whether or not to walk out of ODM.

Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi on Tuesday met with at least 25 legislators from the region in a strategic meeting that lasted almost five hours.

Speaking exclusively to Nation after the meeting at The Dhow House, Nyali, Governor Kingi said their deliberations have left out both ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto, and solely focused on the unity of the region.

“Our main agenda here is unity. We have met the MPs, first for strategy purposes, and for that reason, we are going to form our unity and not lean on Mr Odinga or Mr Ruto. This is a Coast-based issue meeting,” said Mr Kingi.

Reliable sources told the Nation that part of the main agenda was whether the unity of the region should be achieved while the leaders are still in ODM or they form a Coast-based party.

Raw deal

A majority of the leaders who attended the meeting were from ODM. Coast MPs who are allied to DP Ruto were conspicuously missing from the meeting.

“We’re going to bring everyone on board because we will at no stage bring the issue of Raila or Ruto, and we believe if it’s for the purpose of our region, no leader would say No,” said Mr Kingi when asked about the absent MPs.

The governor said the region is charting its own course because “it has been given a raw deal for quite some time by ODM party”.

He said to solidify the unity’s agenda, all the six Coast governors are going to meet this month in Taita Taveta to discuss the same. “We have always been represented by ODM as a region and now we want to stand on our own. With time you will see the fruits of this journey that we have just started,” said Mr Kingi, who had planned the meeting.

Mr Joho shared the same sentiments, saying the Coast region has supported ODM for long, and it is Mr Odinga’s turn to return the favour by supporting the governor for presidency in 2022.

Second term

Speaking last Thursday, Mr Joho announced that he will use the ODM party to contest for the presidency in 2022.

“I was Kisauni MP and now governor for a second term through ODM. I have been with Raila for long and I am now going to contest for presidency through the Orange party. We have supported them for long and this time they should support us,” said Mr Joho when he issued tittle deeds to residents of Kisumu Ndogo in Nyali

Yesterday when asked about the differing sentiments, leaders at the meeting revealed that it was a strategy that Mr Kingi and Mr Joho were using to push for the unity agenda.

Lamu Woman Rep Ruweida Obbo said there was need for Coast to be part of the national discussion. We do not want to be taken as fools. What we want is to be on our own so that we can be heard as a region,” said Ms Obbo who also revealed that another meeting which will be led by Mr Joho will be held in Lamu on February, 20.