Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) leaders have termed secession plan by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi as insincere and selfish.
The MRC questioned the motives of the governors, further adding that they never supported the movement when they called for secession years ago.
MRC spokesperson Rashid Mraja dismissed the separation remarks, additionally accusing the leaders of making mere political statements.
[caption caption="MRC Spokeman Rashid Mraja"]
[/caption]
The group previously proposed for self-rule but was listed as an outlawed sect by the government. However, it changed its hard stance and made its agenda known by declaring support for President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Mraja told journalists that the statements by Joho and Kingi were reckless and might trigger political violence in the region.
"When we were agitating for self-rule, they were quiet. We were arrested and taken to court but none of them came to our rescue. Why are they coming out to speak about it now?" Mr Mraja remarked.
He accused the governors who had declared an interest in running for the top office in the land for looking for political mileage at a time when the nation was vulnerable.
On Friday, governors Joho and Kingi, accompanied by several Members of Parliament and Senators declared their determination to secede stating that the region had been marginalised by successive governments.
Joho and Kingi announced they would commence public engagements with coastal residents so as to have them back the secession venture adding that they would soon publish timelines leading to separation of the region.
[caption caption="Governors, Joho and Kingi During a presser"]
[/caption]
