Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is increasingly becoming a political genius.
On many occasions, he has humbled President Uhuru Kenyatta who has fought tooth and nail since 2013 to make inroads to Coast region in a bid to harvest votes ahead of the August 8, polls.
It all began with the Waitiki land saga in Mombasa County when the county chief blatantly told the President to buy land for the local squatters. Uhuru openly declined the request and angrily told the squatters they will part with the over Sh100,000 to buy the land for themselves.
Shortly after, came the incident in which government withdrew the governor's security detail and ordered the county chief to surrender his licensed gun.
Joho challenged the legality of the directive issued by Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery in court and won. His bodyguards were restored thereafter.
Then came last week's incident. Uhuru, who was in Mombasa met Joho as the president officiated at the opening a flyover and a refurbished meet market.
After the two events, both leaders addressed a roadside rally in Old Town.
Joho, at the gathering, took a swipe at the Head of State as he openly told him to his face that his regime had never initiated development projects in Mombasa since it came to power in 2013.
Joho told Uhuru that majority of the projects he went around the country launching were initiated during the grand coalition government led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki.
Uhuru, as Joho spoke, could be seen wiping sweat as Joho publicly hit out at him.
The President, who spoke last, lashed out at Joho to the bemusement of residents who chanted pro-Joho slogans.
In the course of his speech, a resident asked the President for food. The man who occupies the house on the hill, however, boldly told the man to ask for it from Mr Joho. As the Head of State, this shouldn't have been his response.
Uhuru has continuously played into Joho's trap. How? Joho rattles him well knowing that he will respond angrily. These responses dotted with anger work against the president.
The angry responses will always win Mr Joho sympathy since it's now clear- following the withdrawal of Joho's security (for the second time) that he is being fought against from Nairobi.
With this, it will be difficult for the President to win support from Coast region.