NASA leader Raila Odinga with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho in a past event. [Photo/the star.co.ke]
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has rubbished claims in a section of the media that he has started lobbying to succeed NASA leader Raila Odinga.
Joho says that the reports are false noting that Raila Odinga is still actively involved in politics.
Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, Joho said that the reports are malicious and aimed at tainting his relationship with the former Prime Minister and other ODM leaders.
He said that succession politics will play out later when the former Prime Minister will have exited politics.
“IT is malicious for people to start claiming that I am lobbying to succeed Raila Odinga when he (Raila) is still active in politics,” he said.
Joho said that he is not a party to any succession politics adding that his key agenda is to serve Mombasa residents as governor.
“We will talk succession and 2022 politics when the time comes but for now I am fully committed to my agenda as the Mombasa governor,” he said.
Joho, however, said that he will not decline if he is fronted to succeed Raila when he retires from politics.
The flamboyant ODM governor is a close ally of Odinga and is among the few being considered as Raila’s possible successor.
The ODM deputy party leader has been vocal and is among those pushing for Raila’s swearing in as the people’s president.
On Saturday last week, Joho hosted Raila to a football tournament finals at the ‘Uwanja wa Mbuzi where it’s believed that the two discussed 2022 elections and Coast secession.
Governor Joho is serving his second and final term as governor and has declared an interest in the 2022 presidential election.
The Mombasa governor is also pushing for Coast to secede on grounds that the region has been social, economically and politically discriminated by the current and previous regimes.