Embattled Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu has admitted that he was forced by circumstances to leave the Mashujaa Day celebrations venue in Mombasa on Sunday.
However, the county boss has denied claims that he was kicked out of the function, which was attended by a number of his colleagues after he was seen exiting before it started.
Speaking on Tuesday, the governor said that he left because there was no seat reserved for him, adding that he also arrived without an invitation card at the Mama Ngina Waterfront venue.
He said that he as well arrived too early for the function, and on realizing that it was not like the normal functions where you just arrive uninvited, he left for his hotel nearby.
"What caused the confusion was that I did not have an invitation card for Mashujaa day. I thought it was just the normal Mashujaa Day Celebrations where you can show up uninvited, but I was wrong," he told the Standard.
In a footage, he is seen occupying a seat reserved for area Woman Representative Asha Hussein, after which the organizers approach and briefly talk to him before he leaves.
But the governor has denied claims that the situation had anything to do with his bad blood with President Uhuru Kenyatta, owing to his ongoing corruption cases.
He said that the sun and heat of Mombasa were also unbearable, forcing him to follow the event from his hotel room.
“Those saying that I was chased away so as not to be seen close to the President are people intent on portraying me in bad light. I am not a native of Mombasa. The sun and the heat was too much for me and so I decided to follow the proceedings from my room,” he added.
But before leaving, the county boss was seen receiving a call, with the caller remaining yet to he established, after which he engaged some security officers in a chat and left.
Back in Kiambu, he has since been locked out of office, resulting in his Deputy James Nyoro, whom he has fallen out with, taking over on an interim capacity.