Mama Alice Maitha, the widow of the late former Tourism minister Karisa Maitha, was buried on Saturday in Mtwapa, Kilifi County. 

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The ceremony was attended by friends, relatives, and some political leaders. 

Among the ODM and Jubilee political leaders present were Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Gideon Mung'aro, Mombasa Deputy Governor William Kingi, and his Kilifi county counterpart Gideon Saburi,

However, Mombasa county governor Ali Hassan Joho and his Kilifi county counterpart Amason  Kingi skipped the burial of mama Alice Maitha. They instead sent their deputies amid claims of a plot to heckle leaders for neglecting the widow and her family following the sudden death of the former Tourism minister, Karisa Maitha, in 2004.

Politics, as usual, took centre stage apart from the leaders eulogising the late Mama Alice Maitha. 

The political leaders took the opportunity to call for political unity that would unite the Coast leaders to form one regional political party.

Speaking at the burial, Gideon Mung'aro alleged that the enemies of the coastal people were their own leaders who could not unite to speak with one voice.

"The enemies of the coast people are their leaders," said Mr. Mung'aro.

The coastal leaders have been for a long time divided along religious, ethnic and racial lines that have always thwarted efforts to form one regional party. 

However, it emerged that members of parliament under the coast parliamentary Group have organised a conference next month to chart their way forward as far as their political unity is concerned. 

According to the former Malindi town mayor, governors and senators will also be invited to the conference.

"We agreed with most Coast leaders to meet in Kwale to deliberate about our unity," said Mungaro.