MRC saga offers mixed bag for Coast MPs

Is the emergence of the Mombasa Republic Council (MRC) an indictment of Coast region’s political leadership?

This is the big question as the 23-member Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) grapples with the MRC debate in the wake of a court ruling the lifted a Government ban on the group.

According to some analysts, MRC activities expose what may be viewed as weak political leadership in Coast Province worsened by the void left by former powerbrokers such as the late Shariff Nassir and Ronald Ngala.

Prof Amukowa Anangwe, a political scientist at Tanzania’s University of Dodoma, says the MRC is an indictment of local leaders and a national political system that does not listen to the voiceless.

“If elected leaders in Coast could have been voicing concerns raised by MRC, things could be better. But as things stand, leaders in that region should pull up their socks or be rendered irrelevant by the MRC which is proving to be popular supported by the common man,” says Anangwe.

Historical injustices

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But Garsen MP Danson Mungatana argues issues raised by MRC have been adequately addressed by local MPs. Mungatana says the Coast MPs has exhaustively discussed with the Government the historical injustices and marginalization of the region, insisting the emergence of MRC is not due to a leadership vacuum.

Mungatana said the Coast Parliamentary Group has twice met President Kibaki to address the issues. “In the 9th and 10th parliaments, CPG met Kibaki.  We have done our best but the frustrations is failure to make it happen by the Executive,” added Mungatana.

But Anangwe, a former minister, added: “Its not that the present leadership in Coast is weaker than the past  but the fury of frustrated Coastal people has reached its boiling point. It is because of a political system that does not listen to the majority that things are as they stand.”

According to Anangwe, what is happening at the Coast is a wake-up call to the Government.

“Such centrifugal sentiments are a wake-up call to the State to expedite devolution to address perceived regional disparities and income inequalities as well as political alienation,” added Anangwe.

Grassroots support

There are those who believe Coast MPs had adopted a wait-and-see attitude during the push and pulls between the Government and MRC, which ended up in the corridors of justice. “There is a tendency where MPs are cautious and avoid taking MRC head-on for fear of losing grassroot support,” says Maseno University lecturer Martin Mulwale.

And last month after the court ruling that lifted the ban on MRC was delivered, the 23-member CPG welcomed the order but appealed to the group to drop its secession agenda.

Three High Court judges had declared the ban on MRC unconstitutional but imposed restrictions on the group to operate within the law.

The court ruled that MRC is a political movement and can only achieve its objectives if registered as a political party. Secession, the court added, cannot happen without a referendum to change the Constitution.

The MPs say MRC can achieve its objectives within a united Kenya, saying calls to boycott the General Election are uncalled for. Coast Parliamentary Group chairman Benedict Gunda says they supported MRC on its demands for rights in the region.

“We support demands against oppression and marginalization, demands for land ownership, job opportunities, better education standards, resource management and fair distribution of revenue,” said Gunda.

But MRC has maintained its secessionist stand and the plan to boycott elections. In reaction to the ruling, MRC chairman Omar Mwamnuadzi indicated MRC was not a party.

“We are happy the tag of an outlawed group has been removed. We are people who want peace. What we are fighting for is justice for Coast,” said Mwamnuadzi 

Acting Internal Security Minister Yusuf Haji appealed to all arms of the Government to speak in one voice regarding MRC, while the Attorney General’s immediate reaction was to appeal against the ruling, insisting the group remains illegal.

“National security matters should not be politicised. There seems to be conflicting messages sent out regarding the MRC. The Ministry of Internal Security shall take the lead on issues relating to the Government’s position on MRC,” Haji said in a statement.

Haji, whose stand has been supported by Acting Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia, has promised neutrality in the way security agencies will deal with the group.

—Additional reporting by Ngumbao Kithi