Former Taita Taveta governor John Mruttu has supported the bid to form a coastal region political party.
In an exclusive interview with Baraka Fm, Mruttu said that there is a need for the formation of a coastal political party that will cater to the needs of coastal people on the national front.
“If there is no party whose agenda will focus on coastal issues, then in the national arena there will no one who will be anchoring proposals of coastal agendas in the national arena,”Mruttu said.
He warned that lack of a political vehicle for the region has hampered how coastal affairs are to be dealt with thus leading to marginalization which has affected the region for many years.
He also took issues with how proposals to the building bridges initiative (BBI) report e.g. on the port of Mombasa, mining sector, tourism, and wildlife which are teething problems affecting the region were not captured in the final report.
“We had many proposals to the BBI concerning coastal matters, but shockingly, the final report did not anchor issues affecting coastal people Due to that, there is a need to form a party which will front coastal issues in various forums nationally,”Mruttu said
A section of coastal leaders including Malindi Mp Aisha Jumwa, have been fronting the formation of a coastal political party.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi have asserted that there is a need to form the coastal political party.
“It is high time Coast people charted their own political destiny, we shall no longer be the slaves of people who have been using us for their own political gain. If you look at Hassan Joho, do you think I am not fit to contest for president?”.Joho posed
