Is the Coast region in political limbo ahead of the 2022 General Election?
Perhaps this is the big question political pundits are battling to ask after the much-hyped Coast political party formation went down the drain and the sudden quiet for those who have been pushing for its formation.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has been in the frontline to push for the formation of a Coast-based national party in which he coined in his own ideology as “Tufe” a football-like structure made of tattered old clothes mostly collected in dust bins and wastes disposal areas.
Governor Kingi who is serving his second and last terms in Kilifi has now maintained a low profile on the move, keeping his political observers on a confusing situation.
So, what does the coast political party missing inaction means for the Coastal region?
According to the Secretary-General of the Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) Teddy Mwambire, the formation of a Coast party is an illusion and even if it is realized, Coast people will not see its potential at the moment.
“The region remains an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) zone and that is what people should know. There can be a few individuals who can take the pride of saying that the ODM part is dead but come 2022, they will see that this region is solely still in ODM,” said.
Currently, some of the MPs who were elected on an ODM ticket have now switched to supporting Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA party. Some of the lawmakers are Aisha Jumwa(Malindi), Owen Baya(Kilifi North) and Paul Katana(Kaloleni).
The three are close allies of the DP and have rubbished the formation of the coast party, insisting that they will support UDA’s manifesto in the coast region.
Political pundits believe that with this trend and as the election nears, then Coast which is known for its divisive politics ahead of any general election is expecting a replica of the same.
*This article was written by Ramadhan Kambi for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews@gmail.com for News tips and Inquiries.
