Youth demand to swear in Hassan Joho as Raila's deputy

A group of youth in Mombasa want Nasa leader Raila Odinga to appoint Governor Hassan Joho as his deputy.

On Friday, they took to the streets, demanding to swear in the governor as Mr Odinga’s deputy.

PRAISE

They carried placards as they praised Mr Joho, while criticising Nasa co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka for failing to show up during Mr Odinga’s swearing-in at Uhuru Park on Tuesday.

The youth marched along Moi Avenue before storming Mr Joho’s office and demanding to swear him in as Mr Odinga’s deputy.

Led by a lobby group leader, Victor Kamau, the youths urged the governor to get out of the office so they can swear him in.

However, the governor was not in his office. County director of communications Richard Chacha said the governor was not aware of any plans to swear him in.

“The governor is not privy to any arrangement like that, neither is he aware of the group. We just saw them through the window but they have a democratic right to picket,” he said.

According to Mr Chacha, the governor was inspecting a development project in the county.

SUPPORTERS

One of the youth, Kelvin Juma, said the group supports Mr Joho.

“We are here to swear in Mr Joho. I am a die-hard supporter of Mr Joho and I followed him to Nairobi when he attended the ceremony,” he said.

Some of the Nasa diehards who had travelled to Nairobi for Mr Odinga’s ceremony at Uhuru Park said they felt betrayed when Mr Musyoka failed to turn up for the event.

“We went to witness the ceremony and we were expecting the whole team but they have let us down; they are cowards. Mr Musyoka is insincere. If it’s about his security detail being withdrawn how come Mr Joho attended the ceremony even after his security detail was also withdrawn?” Mr Kamau said.

“Mr Joho has proved that he is a real man. We want to swear him in. Politics is for the brave, not for cowards.”

DISPERSED

Their plan to swear in Mr Joho was aborted a few minutes after police officers dispersed the crowd. They had caused a huge traffic jam along Treasury Square roundabout.

The residents from the youth empowerment oversight movement asked Mr Odinga not to forgive Mr Musyoka for what they termed “betrayal” in failing to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

They vowed to swear in Mr Joho as Mr Odinga’s deputy when he attends any public event.

The group left when police asked for their leader.

“Go home and stop this nonsense or I will arrest you. In fact, who is your leader? I want him to tell me what is going on,” a senior police officer told the group.

Mr Joho stole the limelight when he accompanied Mr Odinga at Uhuru Park for the controversial ‘swearing-in’.