Mombasa County Governor, Ali Hassan Joho (Right) and Kilifi County Governor, Amason Kingi. The two governors are the pioneers of the succession movement in the coastal region. [Photo by the-star.co.ke]
The MP for Galole in Tana River County, Mr. Said Buya Hiribae has supported calls by Mombasa governor and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi for the secession of the Coastal region from Kenya.
Just like the two controversial governors, Buya alleged that the region had been marginalized by successive governments and needed to determine its own destiny.
He was speaking at the Hola Methodist Church on Saturday during the funeral service of the late Japhet Zakaria Kase, a former assistant minister in the Jomo Kenyatta administration, who died recently after a long illness.
“I am one of those who have called for secession, but we do not seek to govern ourselves so we can chase away upcountry people living in the Coast,” he said.
Mr. Hiribae said proponents of the secession initiative would follow the law in their quest to have the people of the Coast region govern themselves. He also expressed an affirmative message that no arms would be used to eject non-indigenous people.
“This region is cosmopolitan, with almost all the 43 ethnic groups in Kenya being represented. We do not to intend to chase away anybody,” he said.
He said although the region’s counties were receiving funds from the National Government through devolution, what was being given was not commensurate with what the region offers.
“Currently, people are being employed at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), but our people are not being given those jobs,” he said adding, “This is the marginalization we are talking about.
A cross-section of coastal governors have steered clear off the controversial secession talk being propagated by among others Kilifi and Mombasa Governors Amason Kingi and Hassan Ali Joho respectively.