Governor Joho admits to authorizing crime page group’s operations
Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho, who has said he authorised a Facebook group page that the county commissioner had banned accusing the group’s members of being criminals. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Joho said members behind the Mombasa Crime Alert should continue with their activities, saying no one has a right to close someone else’s Facebook page.
- Mr Joho said citizens are guided by the Constitution, which accords them freedom of expression.
Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho says he authorised a Facebook group page that the county commissioner had banned accusing the group’s members of being criminals.
Mr Joho said members behind the Mombasa Crime Alert should continue with their activities, saying no one has a right to close someone else’s Facebook page.
“I am saying here today as the governor of Mombasa, I am the one who authorised the group that was banned to operate and it should go back to its operations.
“In fact, I can also be put as one of the administrators and if anyone has something to ask they can come and ask me, because am the one who allowed it,” the governor said Thursday at the Mombasa police headquarters.
He had escorted Mr Omar Babz an administrator of the MCA Facebook page who had been singled out by County Commissioner Nelson Marwa as one of ‘the dangerous armed criminal operating in Mombasa’s Old Town’.
However, the 27year-old was cleared on Thursday by the police and his confiscated phones were returned.
Mr Joho said citizens are guided by the Constitution, which accords them freedom of expression.
The governor further said that County Commissioner Nelson Marwa had no authority to close down the social media page, which he said was promoting crime awareness.
“Mr Marwa has no powers to close a Facebook page and no other person can just wake up and decide a Facebook page should be banned simply because it shares criminal activities that are happening within the county; people cannot silence those who are taking responsibility for creating awareness amongst their fellow citizens,” he said.
Mombasa Crime Alert, which has over 40,000 followers and had been highlighting criminal activities and road accidents in the county, including posting pictures of missing persons and of crime, was outlawed by Coast Regional Commander Francis Wanjohi two weeks after Mr Marwa ordered the arrests of its administrators and members.
Mr Marwa ordered the arrests in October, saying some members of the controversial group had become vigilantes.
He claimed the group's members had been arresting and beating up individuals affiliated with some political groups.
