Kingi outfit to formally join Raila’s Azimio camp

Kilifi County Governor aspirant, George Kithi addresses the press at the Pamoja African Alliance office in Mombasa. With him are members of the Pamoja African Alliance. [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

 Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi's Pamoja Alliance says it has started talks to formally join ODM leader Raila Odinga's Azimio la Umoja.

Alliance chairman Lucas Maitha said the party's hierarchy has settled on Raila as their preferred presidential hopeful in the August 9 polls.

Speaking after meeting aspirants for various seats at the party's headquarters in Nyali, Mombasa, Maitha said they will announce details of their deal with Azimio soon.

“We are ready to support Azimio. We shall join it officially," he said.

The alliance, Maitha said, had tabled its demands to Raila. “In the first 100 days of his administration, we want Raila to review changes that have killed the logistics sector in Mombasa after some port services were moved to Nairobi and Naivasha," said Maitha.

The former Malindi MP said the alliance will demand that Raila's government prioritises the revival of industries that collapsed across the Coast region.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta's government had for the last nine years failed fund the revival of industries in Coast unlike in other regions.

“We are not folding our party and neither are we going to support someone who does not have our interest at heart," he said.

Maitha, at the same time, said UDA leaders William Ruto and other Kenya Kwanza leaders were yet to approach them for any political deal.

"Ruto made it clear he was not interested in coalitions but in the past few days, he has changed, with Amani National Congress ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya Leader Moses Wetangula joining UDA," he said.

Maitha added: “Raila formed a committee to meet with our alliance and we are going to sit and hammer out a deal." 

He said Pamoja Alliance is a liberation outfit that seeks to revive the economy of the Coast region.

Magarini MP Parliament Michael Kingi, who is also vying for Malindi governor seat, said Pamoja is a national party.

“The fears that it is Governor Kingi's party is not true. This is a national party that has our interests at heart. We are engaging our people on how best we can handle issues affecting us,” he said.