Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has linked the government’s sudden decision to withdraw his bodyguards and order to surrender his firearm to the recent ODM victory in the Malindi parliamentary by-election.
In a press statement on Monday evening, Joho described his treatment under national government officials as amounting to ‘persecution, intimidation and blackmail’.
“Suddenly, the government realised I have excess body guards that have to be taken away,” Governor Joho said in the prepared statement.
“It was after Malindi was won by ODM that the national government decided that I have guns that I no longer deserve and that I need to surrender,” Joho said.
He went on to fault the manner in which Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery and Coast regional coordinator Nelson Marwa have been communicating with him.
“These misgivings have been communicated to me in a most uncouth and unprofessional manner.”
He revealed that the order to surrender guns will have to go through the legal process, signalling that he may not swiftly surrender the weapons as Nkaissery wants him to.
I will leave the matter of the guns to go through the legal process that we have instituted.”