Anxiety rife over Governor Kingi's travel from Italy

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi during a meeting of coastal region politicians and opinion leaders, at Wild Waters in Mombasa County, in this photo taken on November 3, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kilifi governor Amason Kingi's belonging, including two passports, were stolen at the airport in Rome, Italy on Saturday
  • The Kenyan Embassy in Rome, issued him with emergency travel documents on Monday
  • His travel plans remain unclear with a top aide saying he didn't know when the governor would return

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi is still holed up in Italy, days after losing his belongings, including his passports, and even after acquiring emergency travel documents.

A close ally of the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the county boss is yet to return to the country.

CONTINUED STAY

“Unfortunately, I cannot tell the reason for his continued stay in Italy but the information I have is that he has been furnished with all necessary travel documents ,” said the aide.

Last Saturday, the governor lost his travelling documents after a thief disappeared with his briefcase that contained his two passports and a laptop.

In a WhatsApp message he sent to this reporter from Rome, the governor said that the mishap befell him at the airport as he arrived from Brussels.

“My briefcase was stolen upon arrival at the airport in Italy on November 17 for the Hyper Power meeting. I had to report the theft to the airport police and at our embassy in Rome,” he said in the text message.

He said that the embassy processed his emergency travel documents, which he received on Monday morning.

PREDICAMENT

“I am glad that the Embassy in Rome processed my emergency travel documents. There is therefore no cause for alarm as everything is now fine,” the governor said.

In the text message, the governor attached a photo of a smartly dressed man walking away with the briefcase. The message attached to the photo read as “That is the thief who stole my briefcase containing the passports as shown in the airport CCTV,” Governor Kingi said.

The news of the Kilifi boss’s predicament in the foreign land were announced to the public by his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho while hosting President Uhuru Kenyatta during the official launch of the coast guard and the Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani blue economy and agri-business forum in Mombasa.

The governor told the delegates at Paradie Inn that he quickly lobbied the foreign affairs ministry to immediately handle the issue.

In his Facebook post on his wall, governor Kingi narrated the series of events that led to the loss of the briefcase.

SUCCESSFUL MEETING

"After attending a very successful meeting in Brussels organized by UN-Habitat to upscale the upgrading of informal settlements in Mtwapa, I headed for Italy for other meetings.

“Unfortunately, upon arrival at the airport in Italy on November 17, my briefcase containing my passport and other important documents was stolen.

“I immediately reported the matter to the airport Police and the Kenyan Embassy in Rome. The airport police reviewed the CCTV footage and indeed confirmed that someone had taken the briefcase and disappeared with it. 

“I’m glad that our embassy in Rome called me today (Monday) mid-morning to confirm that my emergency travel documents that will facilitate my travel back home have already been processed and are now ready. There is, therefore, no cause for alarm as everything is now fine,” the governor said in the statement.

He further wished the JKP conference well saying that it was not his intention to miss, having been in the frontline to make sure the dreams of an economic powered region are achieved.

“I have single-handedly mid-wifed that conference but I could not make it to that venue. Perhaps another time, but it is my hope that all the resolutions will be in line with the agenda of regional development,” the Governor said.