Uhuru Kenyatta and Hassan Joho. Photos: ghafla/nairobinews
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday took on Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, saying he had done nothing to the residents despite being allocated over Sh40 billion.
The Jubilee leader challenged Joho to outline his achievements since he took office in 2013.
"Tell the residents what you have done with the over Sh40 billion to transform their lives," Uhuru told Joho during a Jubilee rally at the Tononoka grounds, Mombasa.
The two have in the recent past engaged in war of words, with the ODM deputy party leader accusing the President of riding on projects initiated by the Mombasa County government and donors.
"What we want to hear being announced is that the Jubilee government will leave behind a few billions for several projects," Joho told Uhuru to his face in Bamburi, Mombasa, referring to the World Bank funded Buxton footbridge project.
Uhuru, speaking at Tononoka, said Joho has been positioning himself close to him whenever he comes to launch projects so he can appear in photographs together with him.
“The other day we went to Old Town to initiate street lighting projects, together with all of them who are today insulting me, so they can have security and work late into the night. Today they say the work was done by the county government and they know who did the work,” said Uhuru, as quoted by the Star.
The President said Joho rushed to Kongowea Market last Friday to allocate traders stalls in the new retail centre yet his (Uhuru) government is the one that built the centre at a cost of over Sh400 million.
“After six months instead of having left traders to do business there, it is only now that he is rushing there because elections are near. What have you been doing with the market for six months?” said Uhuru.
Meanwhile, the police denied Joho a permit to hold a parallel rally to Uhuru’s in Mvita.
Makupa OCS John Owuoth said the security team in Mombasa was stretched with Jubilee’s rally at Tononoka grounds.