Coast politicians now say what previous governments failed to deliver to unlock the region’s potential and address the chronic land question is being delivered by President William Ruto.
Interestingly, all elected leaders in the region except Mohamed Ali are in government through the broad based coalition. Thanks to this, the leaders now for the first time in history of this nation feel something is happening.
REGIONAL DEBATE
They spoke during the burial of ANC nominated MP Hamisi Joseph Denar in Mazeras, Kwale County.
Owen Baya, the Member of Parliament for Kilifi north kicked off the debate saying for many years the coastal communities didn’t believe that it’s the government that they needed.
“But now we are in government and we have no option but to remain there. As members of the coast parliamentary group, one of the biggest problems facing this region is water and we said the ongoing projects like the Mwache dam, construction, upgrading of the Mzima and Baricho water supplies be completed so that every part of the coast gets water,” said Baya.
In eulogizing the late Denar, Senate Speaker Kingi said the issue of land was his (Denar’s) top agenda as he served in the Land Committee of the National Assembly was to help in resolving the squatter problem that is endemic in the coast region.
OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT
“If we are to remember Denar as leaders is to fight for the rights of the coastal communities especially the land issue. What is giving us the impetus is that we are now in government. In the past we used to push to have the problem addressed but unfortunately, we were outside government.
“As opposition it’s very hard to bring solutions to problems facing the society because it’s the government that holds the key to resources. Today we are lucky, elected leaders in this region are all in government under the broad base coalition. This is our time to make use of the fact that we are in government so that our people can feel the government,” said Kingi.
He said it will be pointless to be in government while the people don’t get the services but the situation is now changing and the region is feeling it and one such area is land.
“All the leaders went to State House and sat with the president and told him to prioritize critical areas in the first term and come up with lasting solutions. He agreed and singled out the land issue.
LOGISTICS HUB
“The President agreed and announced that his government will be allocating funds in every budget for the purchase of land from absentee landlords to settle squatters. The President tasked Kingi, Cabinet Secretaries Mvurya and Hassan Joho to spearhead the process,” said Kingi.
Mvurya said under President Ruto, a lot has been done and is being done citing a major plan to expand the port of Mombasa to be the leading logistic hub in the region as part of government’s plan to fully harness the blue economy.
