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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Cracks in Coast as CORD, Jubilee turf wars heighten

Politics

By Standard Team | Mar 30, 2016

NAIROBI: Coast leaders have split into three rival groups, dampening hopes for a common economic bloc and one political party for the region.

Reports suggest that three factions are coalescing around Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho, Kilifi North Member of Parliament Gideon Mung’aro and Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya respectively.

The infighting threatens to scuttle Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP), an economic bloc established by the governors last June but which has met resistance from a section of MPs.

While Mr Munga’ro has led a wing of mainly Opposition MPs, cracks emerged among the governors with reports suggesting Mr Mvurya was uneasy about Mr Joho’s growing influence and the perception he was working with his rival’s in Kwale.

Yesterday, Mung’aro, who has fallen out with his Orange party for siding with the ruling Jubilee coalition, dismissed JKP and asked the six governors to account for millions of shillings allegedly spent to launch the new outfit.

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“The six governors in the region crafted Jumuiya not for the benefit of the people but for their selfish gains and to restore one of them as the kingpin of Coast politics,” Mung’aro claimed.

He claimed that governors Joho, Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Mvurya (Kwale) spent millions of shillings of taxpayers money to launch JKP and pressed the secretariat to account for money spent on the outfit.

But Mr Kingi yesterday accused Mung’aro of wrecking Coast region’s quest to unite under one economic bloc.

He praised Mung’aro’s ouster as chairman of the Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) saying it was a relief as MPs would now support implementation of Jumuiya.

“Coast MPs had failed to support JKP because of bad leadership of the CPG under Mr Mung’aro,” Kingi claimed.

He defended the decision by the six governors to establish JKP so as to strengthen economies of the devolved units.

Governors Joho, Mvurya, Kingi, John Mruttu (Taita Taveta), Issa Timamy (Lamu) and Hussein Dado (Tana River) teamed up with local professionals to launch the economic bloc that is yet to implement its programmes.

In Kilifi, ODM leaders have also accused Mvurya of being absent from party functions including the recent campaigns in Malindi and subsequent celebrations.

When asked why he skipped a rally held by Joho and Kingi a fortnight ago at Lunga Lunga in Kwale to celebrate ODM’s triumph in Malindi, Mvurya responded through a text message: “I was not invited.”

Mvurya is the vice-chairman of the Council of Governors and the chairperson of JKP.

But sources indicate that Mvurya was uncomfortable with Joho following reports that the Mombasa governor was working with Kwale County Assembly Speaker Samael Ruwa.

“You (The Standard) have not heard anything yet. By the time we approach next year, you will hear a lot about me from Mvurya’s people. I will challenge Mvurya but I can’t comment about his fears,” said Mr Ruwa.

Kwale Senator Boy Juma Boy said he would not speak on the matter.

Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga who replaced Mung’aro as CPG chairman told him off and insisted he was duly elected to chair the Coast leaders’ body.

Pwani University Political Science lecturer Hassan Mwakimako blames Mvurya for picking advisers who cannot read the political mood in the region.

He noted that Joho’s influence at the coast was so high, something that was worrying Mvurya.

—Reports by Joseph Masha, Tobias Chanji and Patrick Beja