Youth force Kingi to declare support for MRC

By Standard Team

Youth in Kilifi forced Fisheries minister Amason Kingi to declare support for the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council (MRC).

The minister, however, opposed MRC’s secessionist demands but said their other grievances were genuine.

Mr Kingi asked the Government to legalise the group and argued that it sprung because of historical injustices that must be addressed.

Bahari MP Benedict Gunda who spoke at the same meeting also said MRC’s demands have remained unsolved for years but read a sinister agenda in the group’s call for a poll boycott.

The leaders were addressing a meeting called by the Muslims for Human Rights group at Kilifi County Hall.

“My stand on MRC is first to inform you that I do not consider the group as criminal but one that is tired of the historical injustices done to the coastal people especially on land ownership,” said the minister.

Kingi opposed MRC’s call for a boycott of the next General Election and added that the group “can only be silenced” if the Government addresses historical injustices in the region.

security plans

Meanwhile,  Internal Security minister George Saitoti has ordered police at the Coast to forward a comprehensive report on the attack at Independent Electoral Commission Offices in Kwale.   

Coast PPO and his OCPD held a meeting with other police chiefs over the attacks in Msambweni.

In the incident assailants killed two watchmen and seized vital vote data on four laptop computers.

Sources disclosed that a stand by force will be deployed to deal with any insurgents or criminal gangs. MRC has denied responsibility for Monday’s attack.

Police in Mombasa and Kwale declined to divulge details of their security plans and downplayed MRC’s threat to peace and security.

But The Standard learnt on Tuesday that the Government has been planning a massive security operation since last week after President Kibaki declared war on the separatist group.

 

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