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By Ernest Ndunda and Joseph Murimi
By Ernest Ndunda and Joseph Murimi
Narc-Kenya suffered its severest body blow following its chaotic recent elections after four ministers and an MP from the Coast region defected from its ranks.
Tourism and Wildlife minister Mr Morris Dzoro and his Transport counterpart, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, announced in Mombasa that they had joined Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK).
They were joined in the Coast-based party by Ganze MP Mr Joseph Kingi (Assistant minister in the Office of President), Kisauni MP Mr Ananiah Mwaboza (Assistant minister in the Ministry of Immigration) and Msambweni MP Mr Abdallah Ngozi.
The politicians defected as Vice-President Mr Moody Awori said Narc-Kenya would form the next Government despite the defections.
Awori, the Narc-Kenya Deputy Party Leader, said in Kiambu that the party was not worried about the defections.
But Mwakwere said they were ready to relinquish their positions in the Government for the sake of fighting for the rights of Coast people.
Mwakwere, who had last week tottered on the brink of defection, appeared to have wooed his colleagues to join the party whose symbol is a fish.
Mwakwere and Dzoro were immediately appointed as the Party Leader and Deputy Party Leader respectively.
The development is set to usher in a new political dispensation in the Coast, an area that had for long been regarded as a swing vote provider. Narc-Kenya is the most affected party by the scenario, which has taken away some of its staunch supporters.
ODM-Kenya, which has a lesser presence in the area, still has its Coastal house intact but speculations were rife that its MPs and those of Kanu would be approached in a grand scheme to form a united regional block in Shirikisho.
Mvita MP Mr Najib Balala, Changamwe MP Mr Ramadhan Kajembe, Bahari MP Mr Joe Khamisi and Malindi MP Mr Lucas Maitha form the ODM-Kenya presence while Kanu has Mwatate MP Mr Marden Madoka, Taveta MP Dr Naomi Shaban, Voi MP Mr Boniface Mghanga, Lamu East MP Mr Abu Chiaba and Lamu West’s Mr Fahim Twaha. The latter, however, had defected to Narc-Kenya.
The announcements were made during a Coast Leaders’ Forum at Mombasa’s Chandaria Hall.
Non-members are traitors
Political word in the region had it that the defectors would likely pool in with Narc-Kenya to back President Kibaki’s re-election, but act as an independent block outside the umbrella of the flower party.
But some insiders said consensus to rally all Coast MPs behind Shirikisho was still elusive.
The emerging block, which could grow bigger, might however attract the attention of both Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya, who would have to negotiate with it to make inroads in the region.
At one time, party leaders had said they wanted to join ODM-Kenya but during the Magarini by-election, Narc-Kenya backed the party candidate, Mr Harrison Kombe, who was present on Sunday.
Reading the defectors’ resolutions, Mwaboza said Shirikisho would enter into a coalition with other political parties of their choice, and any sitting Coast MP who would not have joined the party then would be considered a traitor.
Mwaboza said the party would field candidates at the civic, parliamentary and presidential level.
Mwakwere led Coast delegates drawn from all districts in passing 15 resolutions, which they said would be their campaigning tool ahead of the General Election due in December.
"There is no problem with Coast people having a party of their own and using it as a bargaining tool. Those who are not ready to join the wagon will be sidelined," he said.
He added: "Since independence, Coast people have been used as tissue paper by political parties but time is rife for us to have a say in Kenyan politics by having our own political party".
Dzoro said they had realised they were in the wrong party and their decision to join Shirikisho was overdue.
"We will not make any strong impact in the Kenyan politics if we do not have many registered voters. We intend to have one million registered voters in Coast before the expiry of the registration period," said Dzoro.
Shirikisho chairman Mr Mwashengu wa Mwachofi officially welcomed the defectors to his party and urged them to respect the party’s constitution.
Heritage minister Mr Suleiman Shakombo of Shirikisho sent apologies through Mwakwere.
In Kiambu, Awori said President Kibaki’s regime had greatly opened the democratic space and that Kenyans were free to join any party of their choice.
Awori further said the recent Narc-Kenya grassroots elections had strengthened democracy in the party.
He added that all the complaints raised would be addressed to the satisfaction of all parties.
In Nairobi, Information minister Mr Mutahi Kagwe dismissed as normal and constitutional the defection from the flower party by a section of ministers from the Coast.
Kagwe said the party was not shaken, saying the unfolding scenario was not unique to the party closely associated with President Kibaki.
"The ministers are free to join any party of their wish. It is their constitutional right. Why are you making a big deal over it?" he posed to the press.
Speaking to the press after presiding over the St John Ambulance annual parade at Uhuru Park, Kagwe said Narc-Kenya still remained strong despite the departure of his colleagues.
Tourism and Wildlife minister Mr Morris Dzoro and his Transport counterpart, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, announced in Mombasa that they had joined Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK).
They were joined in the Coast-based party by Ganze MP Mr Joseph Kingi (Assistant minister in the Office of President), Kisauni MP Mr Ananiah Mwaboza (Assistant minister in the Ministry of Immigration) and Msambweni MP Mr Abdallah Ngozi.
The politicians defected as Vice-President Mr Moody Awori said Narc-Kenya would form the next Government despite the defections.
Awori, the Narc-Kenya Deputy Party Leader, said in Kiambu that the party was not worried about the defections.
But Mwakwere said they were ready to relinquish their positions in the Government for the sake of fighting for the rights of Coast people.
Mwakwere, who had last week tottered on the brink of defection, appeared to have wooed his colleagues to join the party whose symbol is a fish.
Mwakwere and Dzoro were immediately appointed as the Party Leader and Deputy Party Leader respectively.
The development is set to usher in a new political dispensation in the Coast, an area that had for long been regarded as a swing vote provider. Narc-Kenya is the most affected party by the scenario, which has taken away some of its staunch supporters.
ODM-Kenya, which has a lesser presence in the area, still has its Coastal house intact but speculations were rife that its MPs and those of Kanu would be approached in a grand scheme to form a united regional block in Shirikisho.
Mvita MP Mr Najib Balala, Changamwe MP Mr Ramadhan Kajembe, Bahari MP Mr Joe Khamisi and Malindi MP Mr Lucas Maitha form the ODM-Kenya presence while Kanu has Mwatate MP Mr Marden Madoka, Taveta MP Dr Naomi Shaban, Voi MP Mr Boniface Mghanga, Lamu East MP Mr Abu Chiaba and Lamu West’s Mr Fahim Twaha. The latter, however, had defected to Narc-Kenya.
The announcements were made during a Coast Leaders’ Forum at Mombasa’s Chandaria Hall.
Non-members are traitors
Political word in the region had it that the defectors would likely pool in with Narc-Kenya to back President Kibaki’s re-election, but act as an independent block outside the umbrella of the flower party.
But some insiders said consensus to rally all Coast MPs behind Shirikisho was still elusive.
The emerging block, which could grow bigger, might however attract the attention of both Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya, who would have to negotiate with it to make inroads in the region.
At one time, party leaders had said they wanted to join ODM-Kenya but during the Magarini by-election, Narc-Kenya backed the party candidate, Mr Harrison Kombe, who was present on Sunday.
Reading the defectors’ resolutions, Mwaboza said Shirikisho would enter into a coalition with other political parties of their choice, and any sitting Coast MP who would not have joined the party then would be considered a traitor.
Mwaboza said the party would field candidates at the civic, parliamentary and presidential level.
Mwakwere led Coast delegates drawn from all districts in passing 15 resolutions, which they said would be their campaigning tool ahead of the General Election due in December.
"There is no problem with Coast people having a party of their own and using it as a bargaining tool. Those who are not ready to join the wagon will be sidelined," he said.
He added: "Since independence, Coast people have been used as tissue paper by political parties but time is rife for us to have a say in Kenyan politics by having our own political party".
Dzoro said they had realised they were in the wrong party and their decision to join Shirikisho was overdue.
"We will not make any strong impact in the Kenyan politics if we do not have many registered voters. We intend to have one million registered voters in Coast before the expiry of the registration period," said Dzoro.
Shirikisho chairman Mr Mwashengu wa Mwachofi officially welcomed the defectors to his party and urged them to respect the party’s constitution.
Heritage minister Mr Suleiman Shakombo of Shirikisho sent apologies through Mwakwere.
In Kiambu, Awori said President Kibaki’s regime had greatly opened the democratic space and that Kenyans were free to join any party of their choice.
Awori further said the recent Narc-Kenya grassroots elections had strengthened democracy in the party.
He added that all the complaints raised would be addressed to the satisfaction of all parties.
In Nairobi, Information minister Mr Mutahi Kagwe dismissed as normal and constitutional the defection from the flower party by a section of ministers from the Coast.
Kagwe said the party was not shaken, saying the unfolding scenario was not unique to the party closely associated with President Kibaki.
"The ministers are free to join any party of their wish. It is their constitutional right. Why are you making a big deal over it?" he posed to the press.
Speaking to the press after presiding over the St John Ambulance annual parade at Uhuru Park, Kagwe said Narc-Kenya still remained strong despite the departure of his colleagues.
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