Malindi residents call for peace, warn leaders against toxic politics

Malindi residents have vowed to rally behind Governor Gideon Mung'aro's development agenda. [File, Standard]

Communities living in Malindi town, Kilifi County, have called for cohesion and demanded action against politicians and businessmen fanning divisive politics.

Led by Stephen Opiyo, John Mitheka and Mbarak Ahmed, the residents drawn from various communities in the area, urged public officials to shun politicians and businessmen taking advantage of government offices to frustrate individuals.

Opiyo said that Malindi has remained peaceful over the years even when some parts of the country experienced political instability before and after elections and that they will not allow a few individuals to fuel divisions.

"We have lived peacefully in this town for several decades and Malindi is the most cosmopolitan town in Kilifi County hence we do not need that peace to be shaken from any quarters because without peace even our tourism businesses will suffer. I want to assure Governor Gideon Mung'aro and our MP Amina Mnyazi that we are solely behind them to develop this area," he said.

Ahmed urged residents to remain steadfast behind their elected leaders to ensure that they get development to transform livelihoods.

"I am appealing to Governor Mung'aro and Mnyazi to stay focused on service delivery and leave those destructors to us so that we can silence them with the development the government is doing in our area," he said.

Mitheka said that Kilifi was among the best counties in terms of inclusivity and those claiming that Mung'aro was a tribal leader should wait for 2027 to seek for votes.

"Governor Mung'aro has employed people from all tribes and even in his own office, from the secretary to the bodyguards, they are spread out in all tribes residing in Kilifi County. Those fighting Mung'aro should wait for 2027 so that we can vet them," he said.