Saturday, April 10, 2021 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is having the last laugh after spirited efforts by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi to form a Coast Party ended up in smoke.
The talks for the establishment of a Coastal party to rival Raila’s ODM, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, and Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA collapsed yesterday after officials of three fringe parties refused to collapse their outfits.
After two-day negotiations, the officials rejected Kingi’s proposal for a merger, insisting that they were only open to talks of forming a coalition.
The officials, who met at Mnarani Club in Kilifi, said they did not want to find themselves in a situation similar to what the United Republican Party (URP) and other parties found themselves in after they folded up to join Jubilee.
In a clear indication that the three parties are ready to walk away from the talks, the officials said Kingi should form his own political party to formally enter into a coalition agreement with them.
The resolutions were reached after talks between representatives of Kadu Asili, Shirikisho Party of Kenya, and Umoja Summit Party of Kenya (USPK).
The hardline stance by the three parties comes barely two days after Kingi met ODM leader Raila Odinga and other leaders in Nairobi.
Raila has been categorical that the formation of a Coastal party was a bad idea and blasted Kingi for that.
Yesterday, officials of the three fringe parties resolved to retain their identities.
Kingi has been in political competition with his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho who has decided to run his politics within ODM while seeking to unite the Coast region.
E! News Blog
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