• Leaders say Coast has remained destitute due to poor political decisions and lack of strong political party.
• Kilifi leaders agitate for stronger political outfit that will foster unity.
Kilifi county leaders are calling for a strong homegrown political party that will foster unity in the Coast region.
Kaloleni MP Paul Katana on Monday said parties from the region were formed to divide people instead of unite them.
“The Coast region must come together and come up with one political outfit that will be accepted across the board. We have very many political parties but the region is more divided than ever,” Katana said.
He said the parties were formed by a few people with their own agendas.
"By 2022, we need to have our own party that will form a coalition with like-minded parties from other regions," Katana said.
MP urged leaders to respect each other and accommodate divergent opinions if the region is to unite.
His call comes barely a month after the formation of Umoja Summit Party of Kenya (USPK).
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi last week was at odds with his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho over a homegrown party — Joho is a deputy party leader of ODM.
Kingi said his 'Tufe Movement' is still on and a party for the region will soon be unveiled.
He said the leading national parties take the region for granted.
“We have seen our leaders being tossed out by parties they have sworn allegiance to," Kingi said. "This is because we are in ‘rented’ political vehicles and when the owners are done with us, then we are kicked out without a second thought."
The only way is to have our own political outfit and form a coalition, the governor said.
The Kilifi boss, however, denied claims the ‘Tufe Movement' he has been championing is the newly registered USP
“We are engaging professionals from the region to formulate policies that will bind us together,” Kingi said.
USPK was formed through the Umoja Summit, a group formed to chart the way forward on regional unity. Some members of the group are opposed to converting it into a political party.
“When we formed the group, our aim was to bring people together and see how best the region can bond and come up with a political outfit. We have not yet achieved unity but some people have gone ahead and converted the group and registered it as a party,” a source who sought anonymity said.
USPK interim secretary general Naomi Cidi said the party was formed after wide consultations. She said the outfit is a national party with Coast roots.
"We are open for consultations but the party has clear objectives to unite the region and cushion it from political fraudsters. They only come when they need votes, and then disrespect our leaders" she said.
Edited by Eliud Kibii)