Former Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi.
The disclosure by former Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi that he intends to establish a new political party signals a fresh attempt to reshape the Coast’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 General Election, amid growing efforts by regional leaders to rally voters behind President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Mr Kambi has revealed that he discussed his plans with President Ruto during a meeting at State House in July. The meeting had initially sparked debate when photographs of the two were shared on social media, weeks after the former Kaloleni MP met Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua in Kwale in a delegation of Mijikenda leaders.
“When I was invited by President Ruto, we talked about politics. He asked me whether I had a party. I told him there are three parties and I will choose one that we will officially launch soon. It is a party for Kenyans, not just the Mijikenda,” he said during a radio interview.
Mr Kambi, who has declared his intention to run for Kilifi governor in the 2027 General Election, said the party seeks to unite all coastal residents, with top officials drawn from different communities.
The politician said he had returned to active politics with the aim of uniting coastal residents and championing their interests, while lamenting the lack of unity among leaders from the region.
“I want unity at the Coast because currently we are not united. We have wealth, but the problem of poverty at the Coast is not outsiders. The problem is us, the people of the Coast. First, we do not love one another; secondly, we engage in intrigue,” he said.
The move comes at a time when several Coast-based political parties have been weakened over the years, while the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA), launched ahead of the 2022 General Election, has decided not to field candidates in 2027. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, who founded the party, said it will instead support UDA candidates.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.
This has left politicians who won seats through the party’s tickets and other aspirants in a dilemma. Some of them have been forced to decamp.
Mr Kambi said when he returned to active politics in 2017, he attempted to revive Kadu-Asili and Shirikisho in consultation with their officials, but the efforts failed, forcing them to establish a new political party.
He lamented that the unprecedented move by PAA had affected many political plans at the Coast. However, he said the new party would have a special council comprising young people and elders to make decisions and prevent it from being taken over by a few individuals or absorbed into another political party.
“I do not want to jump onto someone else’s vehicle. I want us to have our own vehicle. We have had our own political vehicle here at the Coast. We had Shirikisho, which was founded by former Transport Minister Chirau Makwere, but it was taken over,” he said.
He added that he intended to use the position to help the people of Kilifi and strengthen unity at the Coast. Mr Kambi also warned against ethnic and divisive politics, saying all communities living at the Coast should be regarded as locals.
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