Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua has issued a passionate appeal to Ukambani leaders and professionals to break free from decades of political stagnation, urging the community to reject what he described as the “Politics of Poverty.”
Speaking over the weekend during a high-level meeting with Kamba leaders from the coastal region, Dr. Mutua declared that the time had come for the Kamba community to rethink its political future and chart a development-first agenda.
“The time to reject any ideology that thrives on keeping our people poor is now,” he declared, to strong support from attendees.
The meeting, hosted in Malindi and mobilized by lawyer Maurice Kilonzo, Hon. Musembi, and other Kilifi-based leaders, brought together trustees, executives, and professionals from across the region. The gathering focused on a strategy dubbed the Politics of Poverty Strategy (PPS) — or Vomwe na Vayetwa in Kamba — which participants said had long suppressed the region’s potential.
Mutua’s message struck a bold chord: the Kamba community, known for its strong voter turnout and loyalty to opposition politics, has remained underserved and overlooked in national development.
“Our youth deserve jobs, not empty slogans. Our mothers deserve water infrastructure, not to be made water-carrying donkeys,” he said, drawing loud applause.
Inspired by Nyanza’s Gains
The group drew comparisons with the Nyanza region, which has benefited from development gains linked to strategic engagement under former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s leadership. Mutua suggested it was time for Ukambani to similarly reposition itself.
The leaders unanimously called on President William Ruto to visit Ukambani more frequently and roll out transformative development projects in the region with urgency and equity.
“The era of regressive, dependency-based politics is over. We need a new awakening — and we need it rolled out chap chap,” added one speaker, echoing Mutua’s long-used mantra.
A Call for Strategic Engagement
While the meeting avoided naming any particular political figure, it was widely interpreted as a challenge to the long-standing leadership of Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who has dominated Ukambani politics for over two decades.
Dr. Mutua, once an ally of both Kalonzo and later President Ruto, appears to be positioning himself at the forefront of a new political discourse — one that places jobs, infrastructure, and economic empowerment above political rhetoric.
With the 2027 political season looming, the Malindi meeting could mark the beginning of a calculated realignment in Eastern Kenya, with Mutua framing himself as the face of a modern, development-oriented leadership model.
As the chants of “Lazima vololoe!” (“It must change!”) rang out in Malindi, a clear message was sent: Ukambani may be preparing to rewrite its political script — and this time, it wants results.
