Kaya elders at the Coast have given blessings to the Umoja Summit of Party of Kenya leader Walter Mong’are popularly called Nyambane as he seeks to vie for the Presidency of this country.
Mr Nyambane, a former comedian, is the youngest presidential candidate aged 47 years old and will be vying for the top seat under Ukombozi wa Majimbo coalition.
Ukombozi wa Majimbo is the third coalition in the country after Kenya kwanza and Azimio la Umoja. It composes of the Umoja Summit party, Kadu Asili, and Shirikisho party of Kenya which all have roots from the Coast region.
At a ceremony at the Magarini Cultural Centre in Magarini, Kilifi county, the Umoja Party Summit presidential candidate was significantly cleansed by senior Mijikenda women, before being released to Kenyans and the world at large ahead of the general elections.
He was accompanied by the party Chairman Matano Chengo, USPK Secretary-General Naomi Cidi together with other party officials and supporters.
The purpose of the visit was to get blessings from the elders, to pray for him, and release him to the nation.
After talks with the Kaya elders under a tree which is as per the Mijikenda culture the elders dressed him in traditional Mijikenda regalia before they took him to receive blessings from traditional medicine women at their shrine,
In his speech, Mr. Nyambane said he will carry the aspirations of the Coast region, which has for a long time suffered marginalization despite being endowed with natural resources.
He said Many leaders have for years given false promises to the people of the Coast promised them that the region’s interest will be given priority under his administration since the locals had accepted him as their son despite being from Kisii land.
Last Friday he was endorsed as the party’s presidential flag bearer at the USPK National Delegates Conference in Nairobi.
On Tuesday, USPK leaders said Kenya’s savior need not necessarily come from a prominent family of a certain community.
Mr. Nyambane in the Ukombozi wa Majimbo coalition will battle out with Azimio One Kenya, whose presidential candidate is ODM leader Raila Odinga and Kenya Kwanza whose flag bearer is Deputy President William Ruto.
Mr Nyambane, who has worked under President Uhuru at State House as the director of youth programs, said he has acquired the necessary leadership skills needed to run a country.
“I have been in State House for over five years learning how to be a president,” he said.
He said, unlike other leaders, his presidential campaigns will be devoid of insults to the president and the presidency.
He said that he respects President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto, and Raila and will campaign peacefully using the skills he acquired from the ‘seniors in politics’ having worked in Statehouse for five years.
His speech did not miss comedy as he still imitated the voice of the late president Daniel Arap Moi a comedy, he did for over 10 years.
Ukombozi wa Majimbo is expected to give Pamoja African Alliance a run for its money at the Coast.
PAA, led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, has been trying to make inroads in the Coast region and neutralize ODM’s dominance in the region.
However, the manner in which the party was formed has left the other three Coast-based national parties under Ukombozi wa Majimbo bitter.
According to Chengo, PAA was to be the coalition of the three Coast-based national parties, but Kingi cheekily went and registered it as a party on its own.
“Today, Kingi is taking PAA to Jubilee, whose party leader is exiting as the President of Kenya. Why would a party go to someone who is not vying for the presidency? PAA has been swallowed,” said Chengo.
He accused Kingi of using PAA for selfish gains and not the interests of the Coast residents.
“He has already announced that he will vie for the presidency in 2027. Is that a person with the interests of the Coast residents at heart?” posed Chengo.
Kingi has however denied these claims saying PAA was formed to ensure the Coast has strong bargaining power.
“Contrary to what my opponents are saying, PAA was formed with the interests of the Coats at heart,” Kingi has been saying in his tour of Kilifi county.
The Mijikenda Kaya elders said the formation of the Ukombozi wa Majimbo coalition has given them the energy to begin the unity drive for all the parties of the region and leaders.
Mijikenda Elders coordinator Tsuma Nzai said the Coast region’s political journey has had significant ups and downs but this time the region will make sure it gets it right.
“We sent Naomi Cidi to go and bring all the Coast parties together as a unit and she has achieved it. These small fights (between PAA and Ukombozi wa Majimbo) are just sibling rivalry which does not hurt,” said Nzai.
He however said Kingi must realize that he cannot walk on the coast alone.
“Kingi has no choice but to join Ukombozi wa Majimbo,” said Nzai.
Nguma Chengo said they are going to summon Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and the other leaders of other Coast-based parties together with leaders who are in other parties to ensure they join the Ukombozi wa Majimbo leadership and they speak with one voice.
Chengo said they are giving the coastal leaders one week to come for the meeting at the Cultural Center to discuss the unity issue.
