By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 25 December 2025 - As the 2027 General Election draws closer, Coast politics is once again entering a familiar phase marked by renewed calls for unity, proposals for a regional political party and high-profile meetings framed as historic turning points.
Yet beneath the surface, the political calculations appear less about collective empowerment and more about elite positioning—an argument strongly articulated by Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs.
Speaking recently in Kilifi, Jacobs offered one of the bluntest critiques yet of the recurring “Coast unity” narrative.
“The Coast has always been united socially and culturally. What has been missing is economic empowerment,” he said, arguing that unity rhetoric is often revived only when elections are near.
“From 2022 until now, nobody was talking about unity. Suddenly, because 2027 is approaching, unity has become fashionable again. That alone should tell residents something.”
Jacobs’ remarks resonate deeply within the historical context of Coast politics.
Since independence, the region has grappled with perceptions of marginalisation, land dispossession and underdevelopment.
These grievances have repeatedly been converted into political slogans rather than long-term policy solutions.
From the collapse of KADU’s coastal influence in the early post-independence years, to the brief prominence of regional parties and later the dominance of national outfits like ODM, the Coast has struggled to convert its voting power into sustained national leverage.
“Every election cycle, leaders promise that unity will unlock development,” Jacobs said.
“But after elections, the same leaders disappear, and the people remain poor. Unity without an economic plan is just a political tool.”
His comments come at a time when Kaya elders and a section of coastal leaders have announced plans to form a regional political party ahead of 2027.
A major meeting scheduled at the Ronald Ngala Memorial home in Kaloleni is expected to chart what organisers describe as a new political direction for the region.
Supporters argue that only a united Coast can negotiate effectively at the national level.
However, Jacobs sees the timing as telling.
“If unity was truly about the people, it would not be seasonal. It would be discussed every year, not just when leaders are counting votes and bargaining for positions,” he said.
According to the PS, Coast residents are more concerned about jobs, access to capital, creative industry opportunities and fair returns from local resources than about new political vehicles.
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This critique gains further significance when viewed alongside the evolving role of Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho.
Once the face of assertive Coast politics and a symbol of resistance against central power, Joho’s decision to work within President William Ruto’s administration—and his apparent shelving of personal ambition in favour of supporting Ruto’s second-term bid—signals a strategic shift.
Rather than rallying regional sentiment, Joho has opted for proximity to state power and policy influence.
For some, this move represents political maturity; for others, it underscores the limits of unity politics.
With Joho choosing institutional relevance over regional mobilisation, Coast leadership now appears divided between those seeking influence through the national government and those attempting to resurrect a regional bargaining bloc.
Jacobs aligns firmly with the former approach.
“Power without resources does not change lives,” he said.
“What changes lives is economic inclusion. If artists, fishermen, farmers and youth are empowered, then political unity will follow naturally. But if you start with politics and forget the economy, you are misleading the people.”
He also dismissed the idea that a regional party automatically guarantees development, noting that poverty in the Coast persists despite decades of electoral unity around certain candidates or parties.
“The Coast has voted as a bloc before. Did that end poverty? Did it solve unemployment? We must be honest with ourselves,” he said.
As the 2027 race slowly takes shape, the Coast finds itself at a crossroads familiar from past elections.
One path leads to renewed emotional mobilisation around identity and unity; the other prioritises economic strategy, national engagement and policy-driven influence. Jacobs’ intervention challenges coastal leaders to confront this choice openly.
“The people are tired of speeches,” he said.
“They want opportunities, dignity and results. Any politics that does not put food on the table is empty politics.”
Whether Coast leaders heed this warning or revert to historical patterns will shape not only the region’s political direction but also its relevance in the national contest ahead.
