By STANDARD TEAM

Most Coast residents reacted negatively to Najib Balala’s nomination as Cabinet Secretary.

Most commentators appeared disappointed by the fact the ethnic MijiKenda were sidelined and political losers rewarded while the Ministry of Tourism had been taken away from Coast, which has traditionally been its preserve.

Former Kaloleni MP Kambi Kazungu was openly frustrated yesterday when President Uhuru named 12 people to his proposed Cabinet including Balala who like him, lost the March 4 election.

“Balala represents the Arabs of Mombasa. The Miji Kenda are the majority at the Coast and ought to be considered,” said Kambi.

But lawyer Yusuf Abubakar supported Balala’s nomination saying: “It is well deserved as he has the necessary experience in the mining ministry”. He added that Coast deserved at least two or three posts.

Displeasure was also based on the fact residents know little or nothing about nominees to the Tourism and Devolution ministries, which they hold dearly.

Lawyer Lucy Momanyi, also Director of Federation of Women Lawyers, hailed the nomination of more women to the Cabinet and praised Raychelle Omamo’s selection as Defence Secretary describing her as ‘capable and a good manager’ having served as chairman of the Law Society of Kenya and a diplomat.

South Coast branch of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya chairman Amir Banda said Muslims had not clamoured for Balala’s and former minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere’s inclusion in the Cabinet because ‘they were rejected by voters.’

Kwale Woman Representative Zainab Chidzuga felt Uhuru had rewarded political losers.

While the Law Society of Kenya Coast branch praised the educational backgrounds of the nominees, branch chairman Eric Nyongesa said the inclusion of Balala and Lands Cabinet Secretary nominee Charity Ngilu ‘does not go down well with many people’ because the latter still has ‘some pending issues’ in her past capacity at the Water ministry.

He also said he has reservations in Balala’s ability to manage the mining sector arguing the former Mvita MP was better placed in the Tourism ministry ‘where he had excelled.’

Players in the multi-billion shilling tourism industry at the Coast led by the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) termed the list surprising and beyond their expectations.

KAHC Coast branch executive officer, Mr Sam Ikwaye said that the Cabinet nominee for the tourism docket, Ms Phyliss Chepkoskei Kandie was relatively new to stakeholders who will be waiting for her to be vetted before they can engage her.

“She is a newcomer to the docket where tourism will be anchored. We are waiting for her and hope we can work together to bolster tourism to greater heights,” Ikwaye said.

But the Muslim for Human Rights through its Executive Director, Hussein Khalid said the President and his Deputy went against their earlier stand.

“The selected nominees do not represent regional balancing and we feel the Coast region has been shortchanged with only one nominee,” Khalid said. Khalid also said Uhuru left out the youth and academicians. He said allocating Lands Ministry to Ngilu was a blunder.

-Reports by Philip Mwakio, Tobias Chanji and Willis Oketch