Supremacy War Mar Mijikenda Cultural Festival
By The COAST Team
Email,thecoastnewspaper@gmail.con
The infighting for political supremacy between Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro and former cabinet secretary Aisha Jumwa played out on Monday (September 9, 2024) during the celebrations of annual Chenda Chenda in Kaloleni constituency.
The antagonism was there from the word go with the mounting of two different daises where camps supporting Mung’aro or Jumwa attempted to hold parallel rallies.
This lead to heckling and name-calling that forced trade and industrialisation cabinet secretary Salim Mvurya, Senate Speaker Ammason Kingi and Jumwa to leave the celebrations venue prematurely.
The annual festival is observed by the nine sub-tribes of the Mijikenda, which include Giriama, Chonyi, Kauma, Duruma, Kambe, Ribe, Rabai, Jibana and Digo and entails showcasing the tribe’s culture.
It falls on September 9, hence chenda chenda (tisa tisa) festivity.
Trouble became imminent when Jumwa’s team erected a separate dais from the one that had earlier been mounted by Kilifi County Government workers.
When she arrived and inspected the display stands, she went straight to her camp’s dais while the county government officials led by deputy governor Flora Chibule settled on its own podium.
Minutes later, Mung’aro arrived and his DG Chibule stood to welcome him that sparked confrontation between Jumwa’s and Mung’aro’s supporters.
The engagement started from verbal exchanges before generating into physically skirmishes that eventually dismantled the public address system.
However, Jumwa joined Mung’aro during an inspection of the stands, moved to her dais as Mung’aro went to the one mounted by his county government workers.
Confusion came to the fore when each of the camps started displaying Mijikenda traditional dances leaving those in attendance with utter shock and disbelief.
In fact, more confusion ensued when CS Mvurya arrived and Jumwa tried to woo him to her dais, but he declined and joined Mung’aro’s dais, forcing Jumwa to abandon her own and join the other leaders.
When Jumwa took the microphone and started addressing the thousands of Mijikenda culture lovers, the crowd started booing her, forcing her to return to her podium in a huff, followed by a handful of her supporters.
Speaker Kingi appeared minutes later and joined the other leaders who were sharing the ‘government’ dais, but the booing continued, thus, disrupting speeches forcing the microphones to be muted.
Kingi and Mvurya addressed the chaotic celebrations and left the venue followed by Jumwa, who abandoned her own dais.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir arrived moments later when everything was in shambles.
However, before he left in a hush, Mvurya, who represented President William Ruto at the celebrations, said the government would support cultural activities in Kenya through legislation.
The departure of the CS, speaker and Jumwa gave the remaining leaders fodder to attack the combative former CS of Gender and National Heritage for attempting to hijack the event for political expediency.
The National Assembly deputy majority leader and Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, his Kaloleni and Malindi counterparts Paul Katana and Amina Mnyazi took a swipe at Jumwa whom they accused of humiliating the Mijikenda community through her unbecoming conduct.
They told her off for failing to protect the community when she was at the helm of the Gender and National Heritage docket before she was sacked.
Mung’aro accused unnamed national government officials of allegedly aiding the disruptive activities of Jumwa while Nassir urged the Mijikenda community to remain calm and united for the development and prosperity of the coastal region.
In the last general election, Jumwa vied for the gubernatorial position, but lost to Mung’aro before being appointed as CS in the Ruto administration.
Before and after her appointment she has never failed to show her intentions of unseating the current Kilifi boss at any occasion that comes her in the county.
The Chenda Chenda Festival provided such an opportunity to angle herself for the coveted prize in the county hierarchy come 2027.
