President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday launched a scathing attack at Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho who has been a fierce critic of his administration.
While addressing a Jubilee Party rally at Tononoka grounds in the Coast, President Kenyatta accused Governor Joho of riding on projects launched by the national government and doing little to improve the lives of the residents.
Kenyatta went ahead to challenge the Governor to tell Mombasa residents what he had done with the Sh40 Billion that the County Government had received from the National Government.
“The other day we went to Old Town to initiate street lighting projects, together with all of them who are today insulting me, so they can have security and work late into the night. Today they say the work was done by the county government and they know who did the work,” said Uhuru.
“When we bring water, you say it is your right….Instead of wasting time disputing what Jubilee has done, explain what you have done with the Sh40 billion that Jubilee has given you to transform the lives of Mombasa residents."
On January 5, Joho challenged Uhuru in public asking him to provide proof of projects his administration had initiated in the County.
The Governor lashed out at Kenyatta as he commissioned the Mombasa Storm Water Drainage Improvement Project Phase 2 in Bamburi, claiming it was funded by World Bank in 2010, hence Jubilee should not take credit for it.
"I am grateful that the President is in Mombasa. But I have to say this, I know the history of this project Kenyatta has just commissioned and it is an old one. It started in 2010 together with other projects and it is called Municipal Programme.
"We want to see projects that have been started by Jubilee here in Mombasa. I want to hear it being announced today that Jubilee Government will leave Billions for new projects in my county. This project is an old one and Mombasa wants projects initiated by the Jubilee Government,” Joho continued as Kenyatta looked on.
This bold move by Joho to challenge Uhuru would later place him on a collision path with the government which has severally taken away his bodyguards let alone cracking down on his private businesses.
On Sunday, the Mombasa Governor's plans to hold a political rally at Mvita grounds were thwarted at the last minute after police declined to issue a permit for him to hold the event.
Joho and other Opposition leaders had planned to hold a parallel rally just a few metres from Tononoka grounds where President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto were leading a Jubilee rally.
Meanwhile, President Kenyatta asked Mombasa residents to vote for Suleiman Shahbal and Anania Mwaboza as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively, saying the current Governor had not done much to uplift the lives of the people of the Coast county.
