Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi's latest push for a Coastal party going into the 2022 election will be the defining moment in his illustrious political career. But questions are bound to arise. Is he the man who will finally succeed where others failed?
This is not the first time Coast politicians have been pushing for the formation of the region's political vehicle. Many parties have in the past been formed. But they always suffered natural death after elections.
Going into the 2013 election, former Mvita MP, now Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, formed the Republican Party of Kenya, an outfit that was seen as truly Coastal. The impact? It did not change much on the ground. He lost in the Senatorial contest to Wiper's Hassan Omar. And since then, little is known what became of Republican Party.
Then there is KADU Asili Party which is associated with former Kaloleni MP Kazungu Kambi. The outfit which has Coastal roots has had little impact on the politics of the region. Using it as his political vehicle to contest in last year's gubernatorial race, Kambi lost to incumbent Amason Kingi.
With Mombasa politicians resisting the push to form a new Coastal party, should the new outfit be formed, it is most likely going to suffer the same fate as past parties considering that Mombasa dictates the tempo of Coast politics.