- The governor said his party will ensure the Azimio la Umoja government will set aside funds to buy land to resettle squatters.
- Kingi said PAA was formed to help the region push their agenda to the national level.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has renewed calls for land reforms and inclusion of the coastal region in the next government formed after the August general election.
Kingi, who is the leader of Pamoja African Alliance party, a new Coast-based political outfit, said his party will ensure the Azimio la Umoja government will set aside funds to buy land for resettling squatters to end the problem.
After Independence, he said the central government allocated funds to buy lands which were owned by the British settlers upcountry but the same was not done in the Coast, a problem that contributed to the perennial squatter issue.
Addressing residents at Chumani area in Matsangoni ward during the issuance of allotment letters to over 274 families, Kingi said PAA was formed to help the region push their agenda to the national level which can only be achieved if the region has its own political vehicle.
He said everyone wants to benefit from the national cake and regions were now aligning themselves to coalitions that will address their challenges, adding that that is why Coast was moving in that direction.
“Western people are organising themselves, the same with Central Kenya they are strategising to see how they can benefit from the next government. The time has come for us as a community in Coast to bring our heads together to strategise or else the new government will be formed and we will not have any stake,” he said.
The PAA party leader said for that to be achieved, there is need to strengthen the party by ensuring they elect many MPs and senators to have bargaining power.
He urged residents to vote for the Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga but vote for their home-grown political party on the other seats.
Kingi said there was need for the community to come together and push its agenda through the political party like the other regions were doing.
He said in Central for instance, the community is putting to task presidential aspirants to explain how the region will benefit in the next government and wondered why Coast was not taking that route.
The governor said the time to "borrow lifts" from other political vehicles was long gone and for the region to achieve its objectives they need their party to push for their agenda.
“It's easy for Raila to be president, that is simple for us because all those years our votes have been going to him, but let’s ask ourselves what we stand to benefit from his presidency, this is why there is a need for us to strategise,” he said.
He said the PAA party is focused to push for economic reforms and settlement as the two issues have been a stumbling block for the coastal people.
Currently, he said, the region has suffered a major blow after operations at the Mombasa port were relocated to Nairobi and Naivasha, adding that all clearing and forwarding companies that had created employment had now relocated leading to mass job losses.
He however warned Coast residents to reject Deputy president William Ruto and his UDA party saying he was opposed to devolution.
The governor was accompanied by 13 MCAs who are supporting the PAA party who lauded him for forming the the outfit to push the region’s agenda.
Kilifi Deputy Majority leader and Shimo la Tewa MCA Sammy Ndago said a time has come for the region to stop supporting and cheering other people’s parties and instead support their own and use it to push for the region’s agenda.
“I urge people of Matsangoni to support your MCA so that we work with him in the PAA political party,” he said.
Mtsangoni MCA Hassan Mohamed said the formation of PAA was crucial in giving the region a stake in government, adding that Kingi is not selfish that is why he came up with the idea to help push the Coastal agenda.
“We have so many problems that is why he decided to hold our hands,” he said.
“In Ukambani they have their party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, in Central there is Uhuru Kenyatta, the other area is ODM, but for the love of the region Kingi decided to be a party leader to push for our agenda, did he do any wrong?”Marafa MCA Renson Kambi posed.
Sokoni MCA Gilbert Peru said PAA is going to benefit all those living in the region regardless of their tribe.
-Edited by SKanyara