DPM Musalia Mudavadiat the Tononoka Grounds . 

Political muscle flexing shifted base to the Coastal region this weekend as the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi Sunday held separate rallies in Likoni and Tononoka concurrently..

Hon. Musalia, the de facto flag bearer on United Democratic Forum Party was accompanied by leaders from various regions of the country.

Musalia reiterated the party's agenda to push for a motion, saying that they will support motion and ensure that it passes. He urged Coastal residents to look at qualities of leaders that they will elect as the character of the leader will translate into either growth or degeneration of the region.

He said that he stands for peace and that he will ensure that security of all the 47 counties will be paramount and also that business security will be guaranteed.

“We as Kenyans should not live in the past and instead should focus on moving forward. Let the past guide us on how we can nurture our present and safe guard our future.”

Hon. Jeremiah Kioni and Hon. Ndiritu Mureithi focused their message of issues affecting the Coastal region. Kioni said that for a country like Kenya where residents are unable to afford basic commodities like milk, bread, flour and sugar is unacceptable and reiterated that something needs to be done to change this. Ndiritu bemoaned the aspect of the youth unemployment and said that a new leadership was needed that would look at how to create the jobs, create them, address the policy issues on job creation and ensure that the jobs were sustainable.

Kioni reiterated the party's position that they will table a motion in parliament that will create a committee that will look into the issues raised by the MRC and how best to deal with them to be able to foster peace.

“Issues of MRC are the needs of all Kenyans. As a party, we are passing a motion in parliament to have a committee to address this.”

Khalwale urged the Coastal residents to vote for Musalia as he has what is needed to lead this country to prosperity. He tickled the crowd when he said that he has the express permission of the Speaker of the National Assemble to bring a motion of no confidence against Anyang Nyong'o concerning the NHIF scandal, saying that the truth needs to be revealed. He also challenged the PM and the Min for Fisheries to explain where 3.5M that was earmarked for fishermen in Mombasa went to that was given by Kenya's development partners.

PM Raila Odinga at Likoni in Mombasa. Photo PMPS

Subsequently, Prime Minister Raila Odinga while addressing residents Likoni, the Premier criticized those who had been against his idea of solving the problems of the Coast people in reference to the Mombasa Republican Council –MRC.

He said many have come on board pretending to have solutions to them disclosing that they are the ones who opposed him on the same.

“Others will come pretending that they can now solve your problems yet they were the very cause of the misery bedeviling the people from coast,” the premier said.

This is in reference to his earlier stand where he had sought for dialogue before he said the government had resolved not to negotiate with the outlawed group.

This he had stated during the official opening of a leadership forum held in Mombasa, the PM stated that it is impossible for the Government to talk to a group that claims not to be part of Kenya and told them to first accept that they are Kenyans before talks are initiated.

 “How do you expect us to talk with you if you claim not to be Kenyan? We cannot dialogue with you if you are Tanzanian for instance; you first have to accept that you are Kenyan.” Raila had said.

This was echoed by President Mwai Kibaki who had also said Kenya was a unitary State and called off any attempts for secession.

“Kenya remains a Unitary State.  Kenya is one Nation and any attempts or calls for secession should be rejected and shall not be tolerated.  Specifically, the Coast Region has been part of, is part of and will remain part of the Republic of Kenya.”

Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi in a statement issued in Mombasa Saturday, he said, they have been inspired by the challenges the region faces and it was only prudent if their issues were handled and solved amicably.

“Whereas everybody has been saying that the challenge of MRC needs attention, nobody has broken the impasse between national leaders and the leaders of this group.”

Adding that, “we have decided to sponsor a motion when the House meets on Tuesday, setting up a parliamentary select committee to meet all key players and find a lasting solution that seeks to offer justice to the disaffected and nurtures the integrity of our great country as a united nation.”  The premier cautioned Kenyans to vote wisely in the coming polls to ensure that the leadership of the country was secured in the hands of reformists.

He warned coastal resident that their threats to stay out of the coming polls were retrogressive to the cause of change because non reformist leaders could capitalise on the voter apathy to retain power.

Odinga reminded the residents that the coming general elections gave Kenyans an opportunity to hand power to the crop of leaders they wanted to push the country to the new dispensation.

He said Kenyans suffered in the hands of successive oppressive regimes even after the end of colonial era but expressed optimism that the new Constitution could turn around the governance structures under the devolved system.Leaders from the region backed the premier’s declaration to facilitate talks with the MRC but rejected a recent proposal by a section of politicians to table the issue in Parliament.

At least 30 Members of Parliament among them Seven Cabinet Ministers accompanied the Premier during his two-day tour of the coastal town.