Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has claimed that there is a new plan to ensure that Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho is blocked from the August 8 General Election.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kingi stated that some senior government officials had written to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) asking the body not to clear him and Joho as candidates for the upcoming polls.
At the same time, Kingi unveiled Gideon Edmund Saburi as his running mate as he seeks to defend his seat against among others, Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung'aro who has expressed interest in the governorship on a Jubilee ticket.
The comments came a few hours after Governor Joho was blocked from attending the historic launch of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) at the Mariakani terminus in Mombasa which was presided by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to Joho's spokesman Richard Chacha, the governor had arrived for the morning event only to be met by a contingent of General Service Unit who stopped him from entering the railway station.
On Tuesday, the ODM deputy leader had vowed to storm and stop the launch so as to question why the cost of the SGR project had been inflated by Sh100 Billion.
In a rejoinder, Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe noted that Joho would be allowed to attend the event just like any other Kenyan.
He, however, cautioned the Governor against issuing ultimatums or demanding to be included in the schedule of the event since it had already been drafted.
Later, President Kenyatta warned Joho to keep away from the mega project asking him to first account for any initiatives his county government had launched in Mombasa.
