Governor Amason Kingi: Azimio makes decisions in secrecy
Former Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju (left) shakes hands with Pamoja African Alliance leader Amason Kingi on February 25, 2022. Jubilee signed corporation agreements with six political parties ahead of formally joining Azimio la Umoja.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has singled out suspicion and mistrust as the reasons for his exit from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, claiming that decisions in the Raila Odinga-led outfit are made in secrecy and by a few people.
Mr Kingi, whose Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) formally joined the Kenya Kwanza alliance yesterday, said he quit after his party failed to pursue its agenda within Azimio and had to find an alternative outfit where its demands could be legally enforced.
“The dealings in Azimio are shrouded in disturbing deep secrecy and mistrust. Consultations and decisions are made by a few and forced down the throats of the majority of the constituent parties,” Mr King said, after he was received formally in Kenya Kwanza by DP Ruto.
In joining the alliance, Mr Kingi said he requested and secured a guarantee from DP Ruto that he would reverse changes whose effect was to relocate the core activities of the port of Mombasa to inland depots in Nairobi and Naivasha.
The party wants Dr Ruto, if he is elected President, to within a year after August 9, to take administrative and legislative measures to address the relocation of the activities.
He also wants Dr Ruto to ensure the port of Lamu brings measurable employment and other economic benefits to the local communities and revive the cashew nut, coconut and bixa industries, especially in the coastal region.
Blue economy
He also proposes that local communities be involved in the management of the blue economy and the benefits of related resources be shared with them.
He also asked the Deputy President to establish a benefit-sharing arrangement on minerals and other natural resources between the national government and local communities in the coastal region.
He also wants the Coast Guard Act and other laws reviewed in order to enhance the protection of local communities' fishing and other economic activities, and address historical land injustices.
“You must set up a land compensation fund to assist the locals to progressively acquire land from absentee landlords.
Budgetary allocations shall be provided to achieve these aims effective August 9, 2022,” said Mr Kingi.
He challenged the DP to ensure equitable representation of residents of the Coast region in national government appointments and in the civil service, disciplined forces and Kenya's diplomatic staff.
“Failure by [Kenya Kwanza] to seize power in August will spell doom for the people of the coast,” he added, dismissing claims that he had joined Azimio to spy for DP Ruto.
The entry of Mr Kingi into Kenya Kwanza comes just a day after Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) leader Alfred Mutua raised similar claims, noting that he had been kept in the dark over the affairs of the Azimio coalition.
However, Azimio executive director Raphael Tuju has dismissed the allegations, instead accusing Mr Mutua of demanding the document so he could use it for negotiations with the Deputy President.
Dumped Azimio
“Some of the people who said that they needed this document … were negotiating with the other side and they needed it for purposes of benchmarking," said Mr Tuju on Monday, soon after Mr Mutua had dumped Azimio.
"Since we knew that was going on, there was no need to continue negotiating with them. You can’t tell someone you want to leave a marriage because of a marriage certificate. They are lying to all of us.”
On Tuesday, Mr Kingi dismissed the idea of benchmarking. “We have been abused,” he said, adding that Kenya Kwanza and Azimio are political parties with nothing worth benchmarking.
“If you want to address our problems, why not commit in writing? The answer is simple – they can’t do it.”
The defection ceremony was witnessed by other Kenya Kwanza leaders, including Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Justin Muturi (Democratic Party).
DR Ruto promised Mr Kingi’s party that Kenya Kwanza will focus on the welfare of ordinary people and it would take immediate steps to address the issues that have held back the Coast region.
“I can assure you, we shall take both administrative and legal steps to reverse the decisions that saw the operations of the [Mombasa] port taken to Naivasha,” he said, adding that building the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was not meant to kill the economy of the Coast region.
