Divisions have rocked the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) barely three weeks after the former joined the Deputy President William Ruto’s team.
This comes as Coast leaders from the two political outfits, now both in the Kenya Kwannza Alliance, and both drummed up support for the six-piece voting pattern for their individual parties, UDA led by Dr Ruto and PAA by Kilifi governor Amason Kingi.
Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, his deputy Fatuma Achani, MPs Ms Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Mr Khatib Mwashetani (Lunga Lunga), Mr Benjamin Tayari (Kinango), Mr Mohammed Ali (Nyali) and Mr Owen Baya (Kilifi North) and Mombasa UDA governor aspirant Hassan Omar are urging Coast voters to vote as a block for UDA while their counterparts in PAA led by Mr Kingi are scrambling for the 1.9 million voters.
However, Governor Kingi, who is affiliated with PAA a coast-based political outfit has endorsed and is campaigning for lawyer George Kithi to succeed him causing divisions in the UDA camp led by its governor aspirant, Ms Jumwa.
Governor Mvurya, UDA Coast point man has been campaigning for six-piece voting.
“Elect DP William Ruto for President, Ms Achani for Kwale Governor and all the other UDA candidates in the various positions on August 9 because we shall form the next government with me in the kitchen where Kwale's interests will be guaranteed," said Governor Mvurya.
In Mombasa, Governor Kingi is drumming up support for all PAA candidates led by deputy governor Dr William Kingi to succeed his boss Hassan Joho, Lung’anzi Chai (Kwale), and Hassan Morowa (Tana River).
“Governor Kingi is in a rental house (Kenya Kwanza) and has no say because UDA is the mother party. There is no day in Kenya a tenant can own a title deed of the place he rented. These are just kicks of a dying horse. We are in UDA, Coast is UDA, Kilifi is UDA, and the whole country is UDA,” she said.
Almost three weeks ago, PAA signed a coalition agreement with the Kenya Kwanza Coalition after ditching the Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja One Alliance Kenya coalition party.
However, UDA politicians in Kilifi led by Ms Jumwa, wants PAA to withdraw its candidates.
The duo wants Governor Kingi to focus on the Coast region Presidential campaign assigned by the Kenya Kwanza team.
On Friday, led Ms Jumwa’s supporters urged the DP to make public the agreement between PAA and Kenya Kwanza Coalition saying it is challenging to their campaigns.
Ms Jumwa alleged that there were a lot of rumours and misinformation by the PAA party that was affecting their campaigns at the grassroots.
Speaking in a meeting with women in Malindi, Ms Jumwa said transparency of the agreement would help the team plan on their campaigns.
“Kilifi is UDA zone, and our candidates are the ones who will carry the day on August 9 General Election,” she said.
Ms Jumwa urged her supporters to be firm and not lured by the PAA party. The Malindi MP expressed confidence in being elected the first woman Coast Governor.
However, Kilifi UDA coordinator Mr Moses Matano said that supporters were not present when PAA signed the agreement with Kenya Kwanza.
Mr Matano said they were not ready to see PAA take the mantle in the county because of the history of its leaders.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, PAA spokesperson Lucas Maitha brushed off Ms Jumwa’s assertions saying she had panicked because of the entrance of PAA to the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
“Just a few weeks ago, PAA has come up with valid points that want to be addressed by the incoming government of DP Ruto, and he appreciated and signed. Ms Jumwa has no document to show people that because she is close to the Deputy President, this is what she signed on their behalf. She is just a UDA follower, whereas we are partners in Kenya Kwanza Alliance,” said Mr Maitha.
The spokesperson revealed that the UDA party leader had allowed PAA to field candidates since there were some areas where they had fielded weak contenders.
"During the signing of the agreement, it is the DP who suggested that there are some areas in Kilifi where UDA has field weak candidates, instead of wasting resources on weak people, he said he would talk to his team to leave the positions to PAA because we have a strong army,” he said.
He added: "We have come with our resources, candidates and workforce ready to assist the alliance to the statehouse. But we are fielding our candidates and we have not complained or asked UDA to withdraw theirs.”
