The governor of Mombasa, Ali Hassan Joho, is expected to return to the country this weekend after his month-long tour of the United States, amidst a storm because of his long absence from the county.
County communications director Richard Chacha confirmed that the governor would travel to the country this afternoon after a “working” tour in the United States.
The governor left the country in the first week of July.
CREATING NETWORKS
Chacha and Lt. Governor William Kingi defended Joho against accusations that the tour was not beneficial for Mombasa residents. An official program published by the governor’s office showed that Joho would begin his tour on July 8 through meetings with the president of IREX and the Microsoft Office of Public Policy in Washington DC.
The next day, he was to hold a meeting with officials from the State Department and the CT Office before traveling to Redmond, Washington (Seattle) for a meeting with the Microsoft Africa team on Wednesday.
The program states that Mr. Joho was due to conclude his tour on July 12 after meeting with officials from the agriculture liaison and the CT central office.
Mr. Joho’s delegation was composed of his personal assistant David Odada, his advisors Hamisi Mwaguya and Tendai Mtana, his personal secretary, Mrs. Najma and a personal bodyguard identified as Mr. Mohamed.
Chacha denied claims that the trip was a waste of taxpayer money.
“The county employees have impressed and also the governor. If you make an extension, then the money comes from your pocket, ”said Chacha.
Dr. Kingi explained that, apart from the main meetings, Mr. Joho held several others not included in the program.
He said his boss held meetings in several states with the goal of networking to attract investors to Mombasa County.
Joho was last seen in the county during the launch of the Bandari Maritime Academy by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the first week of July.
ARMED ATTACKS
Joho’s photos in the company of the American socialite Paris Hilton, which were widely shared on social networks, caused a storm in the county that occurred immediately after renewed attacks on residents by armed gangs.
The attacks left 13 people seriously injured. “The governor is not superhuman. It is normal for anyone who is somewhere at work to get away from their busy schedule and enjoy a little. Why do we express it as if it were not a human being? ”Said Mr. Chacha.
Dr. Kingi called criticism against Joho as politics.
“Investors will not come if we do not go to market. The governor is our CEO and has to go out and look for opportunities. He has also been able to meet some celebrities who have expressed interest in coming to invest in our county, something that will boost our tourism industry, “said Dr. Kingi.
He added: “Let’s wait and see what will come out of the tour before starting to turn everything. We should not introduce politics in everything the governor is doing.”
The Nation, however, learned that some crucial events had been suspended by the administration until the return of the governor. This included the planned start-up of 10 garbage trucks and three fire trucks.
The storm over the privatization of the second container terminal also coincided with the absence of the governor, and local parliamentarians stayed to fight vigorously against the plans.