Written By Ramadhan Kambi 📝
A supremacy battle is looming between Kenya Kwanza political affiliate parties UDA and PAA in Kilifi County.
The bitter political war follows differences over the fielding of candidates who are in the same Kenya kwanza coalition.
Trouble started after PAA party leader and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi announced last Friday that PAA will field candidates from governor to MCAs in Kilifi.
On Monday UDA brigade led by Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa together with all aspirants fired back and told off the government saying the agreement meant that PAA would not field candidates and told him to concentrate on the mandate he was given to lead the Kenya kwanza campaigns in Coast.
Jumwa said it was agreed there would be no zoning in Kilifi and UDA the mother party in the Kenya kwanza coalition would be the one fielding candidates in the county.
Addressing a press conference at UDA headquarters in Kilifi Jumwa said she was the one who steered the negotiation for Kingi to join Kenya Kwanza and there was nowhere in which the agreement stated that PAA should field candidates.
“I played a very big role to making sure that Governor Amason Kingi joins Kenya Kwanza so I know and if it reaches there let’s say that I Know let’s not add anything,” she said.
She said they had to call the press conference to clear the air following the widespread rumors circulating on social media as well as misinformation being peddled in Rallies.
“UDA and Kenya Kwanza Governor candidate for Kilifi County as agreed at Karen is Hon Aisha Jumwa and Senator Candidate Shukran Mwabonje and the Woman Representative candidate is Riziki baya – Kachachawa,” she said in a statement.
The Vocal legislator said Kenya Kwanza and UDA have been and will continue to actively promote and support all its candidates vying for various positions in Kilifi County and categorically stated that ‘There will be no zoning in Kilifi County.’
She said Kenya Kwanza coalition and UDA Coordinator for Kilifi County is her assisted by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya adding that Kingi’s appointment is only at the Coast region coordination level.
The Kilifi Governor hopeful called on the Governor to join his esteemed colleagues and begin his work on the role.
“Whereas we appreciate HE William Ruto’s appointment of Governor Kingi and indeed welcome him to the Kenya Kwanza fraternity, we remind Governor Kingi that respect begets respect. Just as he said that his party should be respected so must he respect the leadership of UDA in Kilifi County,” she said.
She said Kingi’s bad record as county boss may affect UDA and Kenya Kwanza popularity in Kilifi unless he starts sanitizing himself with the people.
Jumwa said the agenda that Kingi purports to have introduced in the Coalition agreement with Kenya kwanza which includes the Land issue, the Port and employment had already been highlighted by her team in a forum for the Coast economic regeneration at Sun and Sund.
“All those which Kingi claims to have introduced were captured in the conference, they are in the UDA Manifesto too, inside Kenya Kwanza those are Key agendas which Hon William Ruto and all others have been going around telling Kenyans that the issues will be addressed when Kenya kwanza forms government,” she said.
Jumwa said Kingi should stop chest-thumping that he is the one who took the agendas adding that issues of the Port have been there for long and he has never spoke about it.
Last Friday Kingi said he had not signed an agreement with UDA but has a coalition agreement with Kenya Kwanza that’s why his party will field candidates.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya on his part said Kingi signed an agreement with Kenya Kwanza but the mother party is UDA and the presidential candidate for Kenya Kwanza is Ruto adding that when formed it will be a UDA government, not any other thing.
He said in Kilifi County there are no PAA supporters as it is a UDA zone and urged Kingi to join their team so as to win in the oncoming general elections.
“That party will never have followers because of him as a person but me Owen Baya and Aisha Jumwa we can sanitize Kingi to be clean like cotton and we work but he has to have respect for us to do that work,” he said.
