Mwakwere to Face the Wrath of Kaya Elders for Inviting Gachagua

By Julius Mwabonje

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Mijikenda Kaya elders have denounced the former minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere for his dalliance with former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua purporting to be community’s spokesman.

They dismissed him saying he was not the Mijikenda spokesman and supporting Gachagua was an individual not communal issue.

Addressing journalists at Kaya Fungo in Kaloleni constituency of Kilifi County, the elders accused Mr Gachagua of plotting to divide the Mijikenda Community vowing he would not succeed.

They said their role was to give political direction to the nine subtribes and as it were currently, they were fully behind President William Ruto’s administration.

“The President is in the process of resolving the historical land injustices and implementing mega projects in the Coast region,” they added.

Nguma Charo, the Mijikenda Kaya elders’ representative, said as a community they fully supported him.

According to him the mistake Mwakwere made is to think himself as the communities’ spokesman which he was not.

“We called him here as elders and gave him a 14 days ultimatum to apologise to the elders, but he failed to honour that because he is not the spokesman of the Mijikenda,” he said.

He wondered why he was cheating the opposition by holding meetings with them knowing very well he was not “our spokesman”.

The youth leader admitted all those who met the DCP leader were in leadership positions, but did not represent them for lacking elders’ blessings or community’s support at large.

“We are fully supporting the Government because we want the core problems affecting the region to be addressed,” he said.

Shungu Thuva, a Kaya elder, said any leader who wants cooperation with the Mijikenda community should engage with the Kaya elders first and not individuals such as Mwakwere.

“We have not chosen Mwakwere as the spokesman of the Mijikenda and we condemn the actions of Mwakwere purporting to be the community spokesman as he has not been appointed to represent the community,” he said.

Hamisi Juma, who is also a Mijikenda Kaya elder, condemned the action of Mwakwere meeting Gachagua and announcing that Mijikenda community are in opposition and supporting the former DP.

Juma said they were not against Mwakwere but his behaviour was against the morals of Mijikenda Community.

“As Kaya Elders we want an appointment with the President we have issues to tell the president as our leaders only praise him when he comes to the Coast but do not tell him the core issues that the region wants addressed,” he said.

Jenjeo Mwapate, a Kaya elder from Matuga and Mwakwere’s home turf termed him as a failure who served as legislator for 10 years and even a minister during the late Mwai Kibaki’s regime without delivering to the people.

He said all those years Mwakwere was in power he never recognised the Mijikenda Community or Kaya elders but now he was out of power and in opposition is when he remembers the elders.

“We shall not agree with Mwakwere at all or Gachagua, what we want right now is an appointment with President William Ruto in state house,as Kaya elders we have issues that we wish to tell him,” he said.

He told Gachagua that he has no support in Coast Region but just a few individuals only including Mwakwere and a few who had no influence at all.

Tsuma Nzai Kombe the Coordinator of Mijikenda Kaya Elders said the recent visit by the former Deputy President had ill motives of dividing the Mijikenda Community.

“Kaya elders are not politicians, they normally give directions to their community so when we saw you (Mwakwere) having a meeting with Gachagua all Mijikendas were surprised,” he said.

Nzai said the manner in which gachagua met Mwakwere portrays a bad picture with ill intentions of dividing the Mijikenda Community in the Coast region and declared that they had no faith in him.

Mzee Shungu Thuva, Kaya elder. (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)

The coordinator said they were not against Opposition politics but Gachagua did not show respect to the Community when he engaged Mwakwere alone to purport that he was representing the Mijikenda.

He wondered why Gachagua never came with his fellow principals in the United opposition and organised a public forum with elders included but chose to meet Mwakwere only.