Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho arriving at the venue of the meeting he held with matatu operators on Friday. [Photo: Hassan Joho/facebook.com]
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is a clever political player instituting strategies and counter strategies to elbow out opponents as elections near.
The man popularly referred by his supporters as Governor 001 has recently slid away from the traditional way of politicking—addressing rallies—to meeting organised groups to market his gubernatorial candidature.He has been holding a series of meetings telling residents how he is best positioned to transform Mombasa.On Saturday morning, he held a meeting with barbers and salonists drawn from across the county where he promised to closely support small and medium enterprises.“We will continue to work closely with the micro business sector and create a more conducive business environment for them to thrive,” he said.The meeting was held a day after he met matatu operators selectively picked from the county. Joho in his address promised the PSV operators that his administration will continue to provide the “necessary support for their business to grow.”On the same day, he met people living with disabilities. In the seminar, the ODM deputy party leader said his government will enact legislation and ensure PWDs are well accommodated within the society and their rights respected.“I will ensure more people living with disabilities are appointed in government and nominated in the county as well as the National Assembly to give them more say in the running of the county and country affairs,” he said.On Wednesday, Joho held a meeting with members of 214 self-help groups comprising over 3,000 members. During the gathering, he gave out Sh20,106,000 from the revolving fund kitty through the county government’s Department of Youth, Gender and Sport.Before meeting members of the self-help groups, he had addressed meetings with them in Mwakirunge in Kisauni, Kongowea in Nyali and in Changamwe, Likoni and Jomvu.The county chief has also in the last two weeks met members of the business community, bodaboda riders, ODM aspirants and members of the Somali community. He will face off against Jubilee’s Suleiman Shahbal, Wiper’s Hassan Omar and VDP’s Hezron Awiti.