Coast leaders claim PC Munyi ‘victim of cheap politics’

By PHILIP MWAKIO

Coast leaders pushing for removal of PC Ernest Munyi are selfish and should be ignored, a section of leaders in Mombasa have said.

The leaders, who supported the embattled Coast PC (pictured), dismissed MPs calling for the removal of the administrator, saying they were doing it for selfish reasons.

Led by soccer promoter and businessman Gabriel Mghendi, the leaders chided the MPs’ attack on Munyi, saying it had nothing to do with residents’ interests.

Sheer pretence

"We all know who the major culprits of illegal land deals are. The MPs should not pretend to be championing for the rights of the local populace," Mghendi said.

A civil society activist in Mombasa, Caleb Ngwena, dismissed calls for the PC’s ouster as ill-advised and politically-motivated.

"Elections are around the corner and a bunch of Coast MPs know very well they will have it rough at the ballot box. They are using land issues to win public sympathy because they know land matters are dear to Coast residents," said Ngwena of the Genesis for Human Rights Commission.

He added that the MPs are playing politics and want to gain political mileage out of an obvious situation that the Government is trying to tackle.

"A number of MPs are beneficiaries of illegal land allocations and cannot pretend to be speaking for the suffering masses," Ngwena said.

Blame Judiciary

The human rights activist said demolitions are not a completely new phenomena at the Coast, citing incidents at Junda areas in Kisauni where hundreds of squatters were evicted early this year.

"Six people suffered serious gun shot wounds yet no MP condemned the act," he said.

He defended Munyi, saying he was merely fulfilling his duties as an administrator.

"Let the MPs seek the intervention of the Chief Justice if they are dissatisfied by the court orders on the demolitions," he added.