Governor Hassan Joho. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Another battle is looming between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.
The governor is now threatening to stop the launch of the Standard Gauge Railway, if the President does not explain the extra Sh100 billion spent on the SGR.
Joho, who is also ODM’s deputy party leader, said he will storm the launch just like he tried to during the re-launch of Mtongwe ferry in Mombasa weeks ago.
“If they think they are going to get away with the SGR, the same way they got away with NYS after swindling our money, they are daydreaming,” he said in Siaya on Monday, when he accompanied Senator James Orengo to present his nomination papers.
Joho, who has in the past engaged Uhuru in public spats, claimed that the SGR project was not supposed to cost more than Sh200 billion, and that it was under the Coalition Government’s budget.
Raila Odinga, who has strongly criticised the project, was Prime Minister during the Grand Coalition Government.
“The project was to cost not more than Sh200 billion but the Jubilee government is telling us it has cost more than Sh300 billion. We deserve answers before the launch," Joho said, as reported by The Star.
Uhuru is scheduled to launch the multi-billion project on Wednesday, May 31.
A fortnight ago, he secured an additional $3.59 billion from China to extend SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu.