Kamba elders split over naming of spokesman

Mombasa Politician Philip Ndolo. PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

MOMBASA: The anointing of Philip Ndolo as spokesman for the Kamba community in Mombasa has split the group, with a section denouncing his appointment.

Two factions of the community’s elders, one supporting Ndolo’s appointment and the other opposed to it, held separate meetings in Changamwe on Friday and Saturday to discuss Ndolo’s appointment.

A fight broke out in the Friday meeting when Ndolo’s supporters and opponents clashed.

The faction opposing his appointment says the former Changamwe parliamentary aspirant was anointed by a few elders against the wishes of the majority.

But speaking after he was installed on Saturday as the Council’s Advisory Chairman at Wesley Methodist Church last Saturday, an undeterred Ndolo said he hopes to unite the Kamba community in Mombasa and has no political interests.

“There are many groupings within the Kamba community and my role is to bring them together to speak in one voice. I will be convening a meeting of all chairmen of Kamba groups to chat the way ahead of the 2017 general election,” said Ndolo.

Those opposing Ndolo’s appointment resent the fact that he is a Jubilee supporter yet the majority of the community belong to the Wiper Democratic Movement led by former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

In his one-day tour of Mombasa last month, Kalonzo urged the community, which has more than 100,000 registered voters in the county, to appoint a spokesman.

Petterson Mittau, a Ndolo supporter, said the Kamba community needs to unite with other communities and fight for elective positions in Mombasa next year.

“The installation of Ndolo is a new political strategy to unite the Kamba community to enable it gain political bargaining powers,” said Mittau.

But the rival group, which dismissed the Ndolo’s anointing as null and void, said it will not recognise him as the community’s leader in Mombasa. Political aspirants eyeing different seats in Mombasa County said Ndolo’s appointment threatens the community’s unity.

Led by Wiper Changamwe Constituency Chairman Jackson Malii and the council’s elder Alexander Mwova, the group vowed not to support Ndolo, saying the community’s only spokesman is Kalonzo.

“We want to speak with a clear voice about our continued unity and protect our traditional values. Our unity has been threatened by a few disgruntled elements that are apparently with us but not for the community’s interest,” said Mwova.

Daniel Muange, a Changamwe MP hopeful, said the Kamba community in Mombasa want the Changamwe seat held by the late Kennedy Kiliku for 15 years, and five ward seats.

Mombasa County governor hopefuls, including Governor Hassan Joho, Nyali MP Hezron Awiti, Senator Hassan Omar and businessman Suleiman Shahbal, have been meeting different ethnic communities living in the region to ask for their support in 2017.