Uhuru Reveals Why He Secretly Visited Mombasa at Night

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday revealed how an undercover operation saw him traverse Mombasa under the cover of the night.

Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) in Mombasa, the Head of State revealed that the project remained a top secret and he could not entrust the Cabinet Secretaries with it.

"Hiyo safari wakati tulianza hii safari tuliambiwa ni ngumu. Tukaanza na mwenzetu hapa Jemedari nikamwambia nataka unisaidie kwa hii kazi (When we started off, we were warned that this will be a difficult journey. I approached the Navy General and asked him to help me with the logistics).

"Mimi nilijua nikienda kwa hawa mawaziri huko nitaanza kuambiwa sijui mabillioni ngapi zinatakikana (I knew that if I tabled the matter to the Cabinet Secretaries, I would be met with demands worth billions)," Uhuru stated.

"Tukaanza pole pole chini ya maji juu tulijua tukiongea siasa ndiyo hiyo iingie iharibu kila kitu. Ata huku tulikua (Mombasa) tulikua tukitembea usiku sababu hatukua tunataka kuonekana huko (We kicked off slowly and remained covert to avoid political meddling into the matter. We had to move around Mombasa at night to avoid attracting attention," he revealed.

Hinting how secretly guarded the operation was, Uhuru noted that not even the local leaders got to know about his night movements with the Navy General. 

Uhuru indicated that as a result of the night meetings, the government was able to recover grabbed maritime land through negotiation.

"This shows how far we can go even with limited sources if only we stop government plundering, politics and empty rhetoric.

"I am asking the CSs kindly, being in-charge of a Ministry does not mean staying in an office or the prestige and fame that comes with the position, it's about oversight and implementation," he added.

Terming the launch of the KCGS as a historic milestone, the President exuded confidence that the agency would help create employment, guard the Kenyan waters and create wealth for the country.

He further revealed that KCGS would equally be deployed in other major water bodies including Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana.