Joho stage-managed own arrest for political mileage, leaders say

Former Kisauni MP Anania Mwaboza has criticised Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho for storming a police station “in the guise of going to inquire about an arrested colleague”, Arub Katri, on Friday.

Terming the governor’s action a recipe for chaos, Mr Mwaboza called for his immediate arrest for “stage-managing his own arrest to gain political mileage”.

“The theatrics exhibited by him should not go unpunished because of their consequences and implications ahead of the forthcoming general election,” he said.

According to Mr Mwaboza, there is no way a person who has been arrested could be allowed to take "selfies" and then post them on social media.

Speaking separately at the police headquarters on Saturday, Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa accused the governor of trying to incite the public for cheap publicity and political mileage.

He further accused him of seeking to release the suspect who was being investigated over a sensitive matter.

“The man Mr Joho had come to seek the release [for] was nabbed with four firearms in his house when the police raided the house; the governor comes here saying he will not leave without the suspect being released and starts abusing our officers here,” he said.

HANDLED HUMANELY

Mr Marwa said that the governor was handled in a humane manner at the police station although his mission was to provoke them into manhandling him in the glare of the media.

“So get it clear that the leaders were not arrested but they brought themselves here, took pictures and sent them to social media just to provoke and incite people,” he said.

Mombasa Jubilee organising secretary Amina Abdalla said that whatever Mr Joho did would not absolve him from the fact that he has failed as a leader in his four years in office.

Contacted for comment, Mvita MP Abdullswamad Nassir, who was among those “arrested and detained”, declined to respond to accusations that they had faked their arrests.

“I will not engage in a war of words with nonstarters because the battle is between the rest of Kenyans against the two Jubilee leaders,” he said.

Mombasa-based lawyer Yusuf Abubakar dismissed Mr Joho’s Friday drama as “pure politics” and warned the media to be careful not to fall prey to political machinations and propaganda spread by some leaders.

“This is an electioneering year and the media should verify [claims] spewed by politicians seeking to woo voters for the August polls,” he said.

Mr Abubakar said the governor is only trying to create the impression of state villain who "must be banished".