Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has set the stage for a clash between Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga and his Wiper counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka over Mike Sonko's entry into the Mombasa County gubernatorial race.
Speaking in Mombasa where he joined other Muslim faithful in celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, Joho castigated the move by Wiper to clear the ousted Nairobi Governor to contest in the county which has always been regarded as an ODM home turf.
The outspoken governor and a close ally of Odinga, opined that Mombasa was not a county to impose leaders on, promising Sonko a fierce political battle at the ballot.
"I will show you dust. It will be fire for fire. This time around, you will understand. Let them try anything elsewhere but not here in county 001," the outgoing governor remarked.
Joho explained that he himself had done an evaluation of aspirants from the region to best succeed him at the helm of the county and settled on handing the leadership mantle to Mvita member of Parliament Abdulswammad Nassir.
"I began weighing out the leaders from the region who is best fit to lead the people of Mombasa, one who will love them like I did. I settled and publicly endorsed Abdulswammad Shariff Nassir," Joho reiterated.
On his part, Abdulswammad opined that the port county was not a dumping site for leaders who had been rejected in other counties. The MP noted that Sonko had a questionable character and thus was unfit for the county.
"Those who are sending people thinking that the residents here can be bought at a fee have been misguided. There are some whose value is lower than the Jujube fruit that could not fetch any money in the market," he stated
Flanked by a host of other leaders, they vowed to put aside their religious and ethnic diversity and work together to trounce the former Nairobi County boss. In addition, they fronted Joho to become Raila's running mate.
"We are sending you Joho, go and work for the former Prime Minister, your level of fishing is now in the deep sea. To our party leader, the governor has what it takes to become the deputy president of the Republic of Kenya," Sharriff added.
The new revelation means that Hassan Joho joins Narc Kenya Party leader Martha Karua, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to become the next deputy president.
