Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho at a past event. [Photo/businesstodaykenya.co.ke]
A Mombasa court has declined to drop a petition challenging Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s re-election. Joho who is the ODM deputy party leader is now expected to prepare his defense in the case filed by former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar.The former senator had gone to court seeking the nullification of the gubernatorial results on grounds that the exercise was not conducted in a free and fair manner. Omar, who recently defected from Wiper to Jubilee, accused Joho of colluding with top officials at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to retain his seat through unconstitutional means.The county boss, however, through his lawyers Mohamed Balala, Paul Buti and Dennis Mosota asked the court to quash the case citing Omar’s failure to enjoin Mombasa Deputy Governor William Kingi in the suit. In her ruling on Tuesday, lady Justice Lydia Achonde declined Joho’s request, saying that the exclusion of Kingi from the petition does not affect the case.The Governor has maintained that he won the election because of the massive support he enjoys in the county.