Kingi party welcomes back former supporters who defected to Raila

The Pamoja Africa Alliance (PAA) has welcomed back four of its eight members who had decamped to the Orange Party as supremacy battle between the two outfits rages.

PAA, an affiliate of Kenya Kwanza Coalition, has vowed to dislodge ODM at the Coast while the Raila Odinga-led party wants to maintain firm grip of the region it regards as a political stronghold.

Party Secretary General Lucas Maitha and three legislators Gonzi Rai (Kinango), Anthony Kenga Mupe (Rabai) and Tungule Charo of (Ganze) vowed to weaken ODM supremacy in the region.

“Raila is fighting PAA because it has established itself as a formidable force to dislodge ODM at the Coast. They are now running a narrative to discredit PAA, saying it is deregistered. We want him to know we have a five-year plan and ODM will be a thing of the past,” said Maitha.

To make good their threat, the PAA leadership yesterday received politicians who had earlier left to join ODM. They are former Ward Reps Alphonce Mwayaa (Kayafungo), Pascal Makanga (Mwanamwinga), Daniel Kitsao (Mnarani) and Riziki Christine, who vied for Junju ward and lost in the 2017 elections.

Party also received Victoria Mnyazi and Jonathan Kajwele who decamped from ODM.

Addressing the media, the politicians blamed Raila for failing to recognise them when he toured Kilifi during the ODM member recruitment drive. They say they were duped to join ODM after it emerged that PAA would get deregistered by the Registrar of Political Parties.