Marwa takes on Joho over campaign billboards

Mombasa County askaris remove a structure that supported a portrait of Mombasa gubernatorial candidate Hezron Awiti in Buxton on June 28, 2017. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa has accused Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho of blocking his opponents from erecting their campaign billboards in the county.

Mr Marwa said every candidate in the county has a right to put up his billboard.

“We want to see billboards of every candidate, even those of MCAs. Why Joho’s alone? Is he god? If you are a candidate go and put up your billboard

"He (Mr Joho) has competitors and he does not want them to put up their billboards. He thinks the billboards are the ones which will give him votes?” said Mr Marwa.

Addressing journalists during an impromptu visit at the Mtongwe Channel, Mr Marwa further accused the police of protecting Mr Joho to continue operating with impunity.

PROHIBITED

This comes as some gubernatorial candidates in the county protested over an “order” said to have been issued by Mr Joho prohibiting the erection of their billboards in the county.

Suleiman Shahbal (Jubilee Party), Hassan Omar (Wiper Party) and Hezron Awiti (Vibrant Democratic Party) claimed that advertisers were under instructions not to allow them to put up their billboards.

On Wednesday, however, Mr Awiti's supporters went ahead and forcibly started putting up structures that would allow them to erect their boards.

Mr Awiti's plans were cut short after a Mombasa court summoned him for putting up the structures without following the stipulated laws of the county.

He is expected to appear in court on Friday.

'KANGAROO COURT'

The tough-talking administrator also claimed the Mombasa Municipal Court had been turned into “a kangaroo court” used to harass Kenyans.

He claimed that some youths were being arrested and harassed at the court “for no valid reasons".

“We have security officers who are also being used to perpetuate some kind of injustices. We should not allow this,” said Mr Marwa.