Renowned lawyer George Kithi who is vying for the Kilifi gubernatorial seat has recieved the blessings of the Mijikenda elders.
He is vying for the top seat on the Pamoja African Alliance(PAA) ticket.
Kaya elders endorsed the lawyer as their preferred candidate for Kilifi Governor in a traditional ceremony held at the Kaya Fungo in Kaloleni constituency.
The Inauguration Ceremony was held inside the Kaya where key elders drawn from all the Mijikenda sub-tribes converged there for two days to preside over the ceremony.
No cameras were allowed inside as the tradition does not allow documenting of the Kayas so journalists were only allowed to capture the arrival of Kithi and his delegation outside.
Elders said they conducted rituals with the candidate at night and then did the blessings at around 2 pm since the exercise cannot be conducted at midday.
All elders were dressed in full traditional regalia and when Kithi arrived together with Nominated Senator Christine Zawadi, Former Malindi MP Willy Mtengo and their Pamoja African Alliance party (PAA) supporters they were also dressed and walked barefooted inside the Kaya.
Tayari Mwaringa the Kaya elder who led the spiritual ceremony said they blessed Kithi because he was the only one out of the seven candidates who were fit to take the mantle and become the second governor of Kilifi after Amason Kingi who is finishing his second and last term in office.
“We have completed the process of blessing him, so there is no other candidate who will be governor other than George Kithi because when a child remembers his parents that is the son,” he said.
He said they inaugurated him, blessed him, and prayed for him as per the rituals of Kaya.
Mwaringa said they advised Kithi to ensure the Coast region is united because currently there are strong divisions.
Nguma Charo the Spokesman of Kaya Fungo said as Mijikenda and residents of the Coast region also resolved to support the Coast-based political party PAA so as to save the Coastal region which has suffered for a long for supporting other political parties from outside.
“Since independence, we have been lied upon to support people’s political parties and end up with nothing, “he said.
Charo said the Coast region is faced with many challenges including land injustices, lack of industries, and the only remaining resource at the Port operations were relocated to Nairobi and Naivasha.
He said all that happened because the region had no political party of its own to push its agenda.
The Spokesman said they agreed that as a region they should vote for all PAA candidates from MCA to Governor so as to have a voice.
He called on all residents to vote for PAA on August 9 and reject ODM which has used the region as a platform to enrich them with power all through.
Kithi on his part said they discussed so many issues with the elders but most importantly they wanted leadership that is going to serve the interests of the region economically, land ownership, job creation, and education for all.
He said the Coast region has suffered many problems because of poor leadership.
“The elders told me to stand firm to ensure Coast people get their rights, especially on land, the Kaya elders have been in the forefront in fighting against land injustices so they advised me as a lawyer to fight for the land,” he said.
During the series of meetings at night, he said the elders told him where the past leadership went wrong and what he should do to take the region forward.
Kithi said the elders expressed their anger for what happened to relocate port operations and the collapse of key industries such as the cashew nut, cotton, milk, Kenya oil refineries, Ramisi Sugar industry, Bixa, and cotton all of which offered job opportunities to the locals but are since not in operational.
“They also talked of the economy and blue economy at large, fishing sector and are angry because they are in their final days on earth and are leaving the Coast region in a bad state as opposed to how they found it when they were born,” he said.
Kithi said the elders chose him to push for the revival of the industries so as to create job opportunities and ensure tourism also is revived.
He promised to use his experience as a lawyer to ensure operations of the port resume within 100 days in office even if it will mean sacrificing his life,” he said.
Nominated Senator Zawadi who is eying for Kilifi Women Representative said they came to seek blessings from the elders.
She said tradition is important because it stands for peace unity and justice for all people, particularly those in the region of Coast.
“We came to get blessings of the elders and at the same time embrace our culture which we love so much,” he said.
All the leaders called upon the residents of Kilifi and Coast at large to vote for PAA candidates.
