Where is former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho? This is the question on many Kenyans’ minds after the flamboyant former county boss and a close ally of Azimio leader Raila Odinga disappeared from the public limelight and from the coastal city of Mombasa for over three months now.
He was last seen in public during the swearing-in ceremony of his close friend, new Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, on September 23, 2022 at the Mama Ngina Waterfront.
His absence from the public has orphaned his closest allies who enjoyed his political connections to do business. Mr Joho has been posting photographs of himself in Dubai, Netherlands and other places abroad.
However, in his other life on social media, Mr Joho, who has always flaunted his wealth, keeps sending barbs to his rivals with his posts while singing.
Boasting 326,100 followers on TikTok, 1.2 million followers on Facebook and Instagram, the ODM deputy party leader often posts his lifestyle.
His former chief of staff, Job Tumbo, said his former boss is in Dubai pursuing his ‘other personal interests’.
“But he will be back in Kenya soon. There is life after politics,” he said. After the August 9 General Election, Joho is said to have quietly travelled abroad.
He recently had lunch with the East African Legislative Assembly parliamentarian Mr Suleiman Shahbal, Tanzanian artist Ommy Dimpoz and other friends in Dubai. The watch he adorned became to be the talk of town. It was a Richard Mille (RM11-01) is estimated to be worth Sh50 million.
A few weeks ago, there were rumours that he had decamped from ODM and formed his own political party. However, his party leader, Raila Odinga, dispelled the reports saying Mr Joho is still in the opposition party.
“He is out of the country but he is going to come back. I talk to him all the time and even this week we talked. When he comes back, he will join the party and make his contribution. ODM is very much united and strong, same thing with Azimio,” said Mr Odinga two weeks ago during a church service at the Anglican Church of Kenya Cathedral in Mombasa.
The man who was perceived as Coast’s political kingpin was left adrift when Mr Odinga lost the August 9 polls. He was poised to be the Lands Cabinet Secretary if Mr Odinga had won. He had promised to solve historical land squabbles in the region where a majority are squatters and landless.
Mr Odinga dismissed reports that he has lost grip of the Coast region to President Ruto, whose forays into the opposition base has not gained momentum following Mr Joho’s absence.
Politicians led by President Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua have been flocking to the region with development goodies, wooing the ODM followers to support the ruling government.
The region has remained an open playfield with Kenya Kwanza politicians taking advantage of Joho’s absence and any perceived successor to make inroads.
Mr Joho and the current senate speaker Mr Amason Kingi have been behind ODM’s prosperity in the region. But with the latter being in the government and in the absence of Mr Joho, the region is wobbling.
Armed with financial muscle and political goodwill, Mr Joho commanded a huge following in the region, especially in Kilifi and Mombasa counties.
Mr Joho has not groomed his political successor. Mr Joho who lived in the affluent Vipingo Ridge suburbs campaigned for his allies Governor Nassir and his Kilifi counterpart Gideon Mung’aro during last year’s polls. BY DAILY NATION