Nyali MP Ali says ready to work with Joho

Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has extended an olive branch to Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, saying he is ready to work with him.

The lawmaker, who has not been seeing eye to eye with the flamboyant governor since last year, said he is ready to work with him regardless of their political differences.

Mr Ali has on several occasions differed with the county boss and his elder brother Abubakar Ali, a businessman, over the management of the county affairs. 

Their differences arose when Mr Ali accused the Joho brothers of locking him out of the ODM party primaries in April last year ahead of the August 8 General Election.

Mr Ali won the seat after contesting as an independent candidate.

On Sunday, the MP said his decision to close ranks with Mr Joho was in keeping with the call for forgiveness and reconciliation issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

UNITY

The lawmaker said electioneering period was over and that it was time for all elected leaders to work together to transform lives of their people.

“I am ready to work with anyone. We will work with anybody so long as the agenda revolves around discussing issues affecting residents. We call upon everyone to come on board so that together we can transform lives of the electorates,” he said when asked if he would work with the governor.

Mr Ali said it was time for all leaders to mend fences and the embrace unity call by President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition chief Raila Odinga.

The former investigative journalist has been a bitter critic of Governor Joho’s administration.

“We as leaders must get ready to preach peace, reconciliation and forgiveness in our regions so that together we can soldier on as a country. as for me, I am ready to be an ambassador of peace in my constituency,” he said.

SUCCESSION

The lawmaker at the same time told off a section of leaders who are already debating 2022 succession politics, saying the discussion was not healthy for the country at the moment.

“Time for politics is over, it is time for leaders to implement their manifestos and ensure that they deliver on their campaign pledges,” he said.

Mr Ali spoke Sunday when he distributed relief food to more than 500 flood victims at Kadzandani in Nyali Constituency.

The MP at the same time called on Mr Joho’s administration to address poor drainage systems in the county to counter flood menace during the rainy seasons.

“The county receives a lot of funding annually but it is painful that we are still being affected by floods due to poor drainage systems,” he said

The lawmaker urged county government to ensure those awarded contracts to build roads and unclog drainage systems complete their tasks.

Kenya Red Cross Society official Mohamud Said noted that more than 260,000 people across the country have been affected by floods.

“More than 100 people have died as a result of floods countrywide, but we have teamed up with county and national governments and other agencies to help those affected,” he said

Dr Said called on county disaster committees to work closely with Kenya Red Cross to effectively respond to tragedies when they occur.