Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho at a past event. [Photo: Hassan Joho/ facebook.com]
Coast residents will not stop agitating for secession, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has said.The county chief laughed off claims by a section of Jubilee leaders dismissing the demand calling on them to raise their concerns at consultative forums and not press conferences.“We have a voice, we must be heard and that’s why we have called for consultative meetings, anyone who has views on either side is free to submit them in our consultative meetings. We will try to use all the legal means available to ensure we secede,” said Joho.The governor said Coast has been marginalised for long and it was time the region institutes its own structures to govern itself.He dismissed calls by envoys to call off secession.Last week, Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi launched Coast region’s bid to secede and become independent.“We wish to state that since independence, successive governments have marginalised and to date continue to marginalise and oppress our people. Therefore, such governments have no moral authority to govern us. It is no longer feasible for us as a people to continue in a country that does not recognise our aspirations as legitimate,” he said.“We, therefore, wish to announce the beginning of the consultative process towards secession of the Coast region,” he added.