MCAs tell Governor Joho to stop meddling in Kwale affairs

Some Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in Kwale have told Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to leave their county alone.

The MCAs allied to Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya were, yesterday, reacting to remarks that Mr Joho made in Kwale at the weekend and were aired on television.

In the footage Mr Joho vowed to do all he could to ensure that Kwale and any other coastal county remained in ODM.

“Jubilee tried Kilifi and Mombasa counties but failed to impress. But they have found Kwale to be a soft target,’’ Mr Joho told the Iftar attended by Kwale Senator Boy Juma Boy and MPs Badi Twalib (Jomvu) and Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni).

Governor Joho is also heard saying that he will be a presidential candidate in 2022 as will Deputy President William Ruto. He tellingly says the deputy president is looking for governors to work with but, he (Joho) will ensure that the Coast remains a Cord zone.

Mr Joho’s comment come in the wake of talk that he has fallen out with his fellow ODM governor Mvurya. He is also ODM deputy leader.

Speaking on behalf of the MCAs yesterday, Mr Anthony Yama of Kasemeni described Mr Joho’s remarks as unfortunate.

"We would like to remind Mr Joho that even the Cord leader Raila Odinga and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang'ula were at State House and had discussions with the president”.

Mr Yama wondered how it was right for the Cord principals to meet the president only for it to be wrong for the leaders of Kwale to meet him or his deputy William Ruto.

“Apart from being leaders, we are Kenyans who are in one country. Above all we are brothers and sisters. There is no way the discussions will stop,” he said.

He said that Kwale people would make their own political decision without looking for guidance from elsewhere.

“We strongly condemn this habit of leaders from Mombasa County to interfere with our affairs. We are telling them to focus on their own issues and leave Kwale County alone,” he said.

Eyebrows were recently raised when Governor Mvurya’s deputy Ms Fatuma Achani claimed that certain individuals from Mombasa were plotting the governor’s removal from ODM.

Ms Achani who spoke in the presence of Mr Mvurya did not name the individuals but assured the governor’s critics that Kwale residents had confidence in him because of the work he had done for them.

She indicated that Governor Mvurya was being "fought" because he did not engage himself in "some activities".

Then, Cord was staging street demonstrations which Governor Mvurya did not participate in.

“Those people in Mombasa fear governor Mvurya because of his firm position on matters affecting his people. That is why they want to undermine him,” she said.