Pamoja Alliance defends Speaker Kingi over alleged plan to fire KPA chairman
Kazungu claimed that two unnamed politicians are orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at portraying PAA as being against the interests of the Kwale people.
The Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) has come out in strong support of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, refuting allegations that he is involved in a plan to oust Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) chairman Benjamin Tayari.
Ganze Member of Parliament Kenneth Kazungu Tungule, who also serves as PAA's Secretary General, dismissed the accusations as part of a broader scheme to tarnish the party's reputation, particularly in the Kwale region where it is gaining significant traction.
Kazungu claimed that two unnamed politicians are orchestrating a smear campaign aimed at portraying PAA as being against the interests of the Kwale people by suggesting that Kingi—PAA’s founding leader—is behind efforts to remove Tayari, a native of the region.
"In a bid to slow down PAA’s rising influence in Kwale, certain politicians—especially two individuals—are working to paint the party as hostile to local leadership," Kazungu said.
However, the trio of Patrick Mangale, Daniel Kitsao, and Muzka Kibwana, who initially brought the alleged plot to light, have stood by their claims, insisting that there are moves underway to push Tayari out of office.
"No amount of threats or intimidation will make us change our stand. Our statement was on governance and performance (of the port Mombasa) and not about politics," they said.
In a signed statement, they alleged that Tungule had diverted the discussion to PAA politics and the 2027 general election, instead of focusing on the main issue, a plot to oust Tayari from his position at KPA.
"There is nothing tangible that the PAA leader is sharing concerning the truth of the matter apart from conducting a public relations exercise for his political party’s survival ahead of the 2027 polls," they said.
Tungule stated that the PAA party was rapidly growing in popularity across Kwale County, sparking anxiety among certain political figures, particularly those aligned with Kingi’s opponents.
He alleged that certain politicians had backed the group to issue a statement targeting Kingi, accusing him of pushing for the ouster of Tayari from his position as KPA board chairman.
"In a lame effort to achieve this, they hired innocent civilians and sponsored a press conference to allege that the speaker of the senate and by extension PAA is lobbying for the removal of Ben Tayari as the chairman of KPA Board and replace him with a Mr Mulewa from Kilifi," he noted.
"Let it be known that neither the speaker nor PAA is lobbying for the removal of Ben Tayari. If anything, PAA as a party will be proud to see Ben Tayari get an extension for another term."
He stated that PAA remained steadfast and would forge ahead with its efforts to popularize the party, unfazed by any opposition, particularly in Kwale and the wider Coast region where it draws its core support.