Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.
Pamoja African Alliance (PAA), a political party associated with Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, will not fold up to join United Democratic Movement like other outfits affiliated to the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
PAA Secretary-General Kenneth Kazungu said that, instead, the party will embark on the recruitment of new members in a bid to secure more seats in both the National Assembly and the Senate during the 2027 General Election.
Presently, the party has three Members of Parliament and several ward representatives.
Speaking after holding the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) at their headquarters in Mombasa, Mr Kazungu said PAA’s position has become precarious in the broad-based government.
He said that the party is in the political cold after President William Ruto’s deal with veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). The latter’s allies have landed plum State jobs.
“Our opponents (ODM) have more numbers, they are being listened to more than us who have been there since the elections. This is compromising our position in negotiating with this government. We can’t wrestle with ODM because they have the numbers,” Mr Kazungu said.
The Ganze MP said ODM had bagged more State appointments than any other political party, adding that PAA now has to beg for positions.
Pre-election pact
Mr Kazungu said PAA signed a pre-election pact with the President to ensure operations of the port of Mombasa are returned to the Coast, creation of more jobs for the region and resolution of the perennial squatter problem.
Pamoja African Alliance Party outgoing Secretary General Lucas Maitha (left) and incoming Secretary General Kenneth Tungule during a press briefing in Nyali, Mombasa County on March 28, 2025.
“However, to date, the issues have not been resolved. But it is because, as a people, we did not fulfil our part of the bargain during the elections and instead ODM got more votes from this region,” he said.
The first term MP said if the region wants more State appointments, including Cabinet secretaries and principals secretaries, it ought to have overwhelmingly supported the President.
“Much as we are in government, our voice cannot be heard because we don’t have numbers. We need numbers that will help us in negotiations,” he added.
Outgoing PAA Secretary-General Lucas Maitha handed over the position to Mr Kazungu on Saturday. He said political heat is gathering ahead of the formation of a new Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission team.
“We need to put our house in order to face the political season ahead. As small as we may look, we are one of the biggest political players in this region because apart from ODM, our strength is big enough,” he said.
Mr Maitha said the NEC had restructured the party to strengthen it ahead of the 2027 polls.
The former Malindi MP said the Magarini seat, which belonged to ODM, will be highly competitive during the by-election following the court’s nullification of Mr Harrison Kombe’s victory.
“ODM, UDA and PAA parties were the front runners for the Magarini seat in 2022 elections. It will be a litmus test for the broad-based government as its affiliate political parties field candidates. We are not willing to give out the seat, it will be a friendly match,” he added.
Last month, during his weeklong Coast development tour, President Ruto said Kenya Kwanza would strike a deal with ODM leader Raila Odinga for the Magarini by-election.
The President pledged to ensure the broad-based government fields one candidate for the vacant political seat.
The President announced that the broad-based government will select one candidate for the Magarini political seat, which fell vacant following the court nullification of Mr Harrison Kombe.
“Hasidi hawatapata nafasi ya kupenya (our opponents will not get a chance to penetrate),” President Ruto assured Kilifi leaders.
In May 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the nullification of the election of Magarini MP Mr Kombe.
A five-judge bench of the apex court ruled that Mr Stanley Kenga had met the burden of proof and established that the Constitution and the Electoral Act had not been complied with as ruled by the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Mr Kenga, a former deputy speaker of the Kilifi County Assembly, contested the seat on President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance party ticket and garnered 11, 925 votes against Mr Kombe’s 11, 946 (ODM) a difference of 21 votes.
The constituency has remained unrepresented for close to two years.
watieno@ke.nationmedia.com
