The Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) will ensure that the Azimio la Umoja Government set-asides funds to buy land for resettling squatters so as to end the squatter problem.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi who is the brain behind the formation of the party said that after independence the central government allocated funds to buy huge chunks of land which were owned by the British settlers upcountry but the same was not done in the Coastal region a problem that contributed to the perennial squatter problems.
The Governor spoke at Chumani village in Matsangoni ward when he began issuing Allotment letters to over 274 families.
“PAA was formed to give the region ability to push for the agenda of the region from the national level which can only be achieved if the region has its own political vehicle,”he said.
The Governor said everyone want to benefit from the national cake and regions were now aligning themselves to coalitions that will address their challenges that’s why even Coast was moving in that direction.
“Western people are organizing themselves, the same with Central Kenya they are strategizing to see how they can benefit from the next government, a time has come for us as a community in Coast to bring our heads together to strategize or else the new government will be formed and we will not have any stakes,” he said.
The PAA party leader said for that to be achieved there is a need to strengthen the party by ensuring they elect many members of parliament, and senators to have bargaining power.
He, therefore, told residents that they will vote for the Azimio la Umoja president Raila Odinga but vote for their home-grown political party on the other seats.
Kingi took his time to explain deeply bot in Swahili and the local Giriama dialogue why there was a need for the community to come together and push its agenda through the political party like the other regions were doing.
He said in Central for instance the community is taking their time to interview presidential aspirants so as to know their stake in the next government and wondered why Coast was not taking that route to have its own vehicle.
The Governor said the time to ‘borrow lifts’ from other political vehicles was long gone and for the region to achieve its objectives they need their party to push for their agenda.
“It’s very easy for Raila to be president, that is simple for us because all those previous years our votes have been going to him but let’s ask ourselves the strategy, we have for us to benefit from his presidency that’s why there is a need for us to strategize,” he said.
He said the PAA party is focused to push for economic reforms and settlement as the two issues are the ones that have been a stumbling block for the coastal people.
Currently, he said the region has suffered a major blow after operations at the Mombasa port were relocated to Nairobi and Naivasha adding that all clearing and forwarding companies that had created employment had now relocated leading to mass job losses.
He however warned Coast residents to reject Deputy president William Ruto and his UDA party saying he was the one who opposed devolution.
The Governor was accompanied by 13 MCAs who are supporting the PAA party who hailed him for forming the PAA party to push the region’s agenda.
Sammy Ndago the Deputy Majority leader of Kilifi County and Shimo la Tewa Ward MCA said a time has come when Kilifi and Coast region at large stop supporting and cheering other people’s parties and instead support their own so as to use it for pushing the region’s agenda.
“I urge people of Matsangoni to support your MCA so that we work with him in the PAA political party,” he said.
Mtsangoni MCA Hassan Mohamed said the formation of PAA was crucial in making the region be part of those who will be on the table in government adding that Kingi was not selfish that’s why he came up with the idea to help push the Coastal agenda.
“We have so many problems that’s why he decided to hold our hands for our future, he decided to hold our hands for future benefits,” he said.
Marafa Ward MCA Renson Kambi said even Raila would not vie for ODM because there is a coalition of political parties and wondered which party the region belonged to.
“In Ukambani they have their Party leader Kalonzo, in central there is Uhuru, the other area is ODM, but we decided due to the love of the region Kingi decided to be a party leader to push the agenda of the region did he do any wrong,” he said.
Gilbert Peru said PAA is the idea of Coast since the time of Ronald Ngala and it’s going to benefit all those living in the region regardless of their tribes.
