Social media was on Monday abuzz as Kenyans took to Twitter to express their sentiments after Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho was barred from attending the Mtongwe Ferry Channel relaunch that was graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
General Service Unit (GSU) officers blocked Joho from attending the function and they said they were acting on ‘orders from above’.
Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) were quick to express their views on this matter with some claiming the President was overstepping his mandate by preventing the governor from attending a function in his own county.
#JohoVsUhuru why should a county governor be prevented from attending a function in his county.
— Albert Nyambane (@AlbertNyambane5) March 13, 2017
Jubilee is so scared of @HassanAliJoho that it has deployed the Presidential guard on him #JohoRising #JohoVsUhuru pic.twitter.com/3FptEpBoYm
— Muthui Mkenya (@MuthuiMkenya) March 13, 2017
Others wished this energy would be channelled towards fighting vices like corruption that have been a thorn to the country’s economical progress.
If only the Jubilee government could have fought corruption intead of individuals, Kenya could have been a better place. #JohoVsUhuru
— Mohamed Ali (@mali_254) March 13, 2017
DOCTORS AND LECTURERS ARE ON STRIKE. UHURU AND RUTO ARE FIGHTING JOHO IN MOMBASA. SOME PEOPLE ARE FOOLS. #JohoVsUhuru
— Generali Osumo Jnr (@OsumoJnr) March 13, 2017
Uhuru now must Go home instead of him fighting corruption, health crisis and drought he is busy @ the cost reopening projects #JohoVsUhuru
— Hezekiah Akoyi (@akoyi_hezekiah) March 13, 2017
This debate further fuelled discord between supporters of the Jubilee Coalition and those of the National Super Alliance (NASA) as they backed their respective leaders.
Uhuru Kenyatta is behaving like a Whatssup group Admin. You disagree with him he blocks you or removes you. #JohoVsUhuru "Governor Joho"
— dickens ogango (@dickensyulemoja) March 13, 2017
#JohoVsUhuru Fellow Jubilee supporters. Help me understand this; How does blocking Joho help us get votes from the Coast? Please explain...
— Patrick Mureu (@packmuree) March 13, 2017
#JohoVsUhuru Jubilee is not scared of Joho, its his level of arrogance & disrespect that is scary. Heshima sio utumwa 'Sultan' Joho.
— Phil Mwangi (@Phil_MikeMwangi) March 13, 2017
Joho has been in the headlines for criticising the government, claiming it had misappropriated funds in several projects and that residents of his county had not benefited in any way from the current regime.
Uhuru, on the other hand, has questioned how Joho had used devolved funds and even dared him to show what he had done for the people of Mombasa.
The unending feud between Joho and the government was reignited on Sunday after police denied the Governor a permit to hold an ODM rally at Mvita grounds.
Joho and other Opposition leaders had planned to hold a parallel rally just a few metres from Tononoka grounds where President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto were to lead a Jubilee rally.
