President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during the launch of Port Reitz - Moi International Airport access road at Changamwe area Mombasa on January 9, 2016. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he has no time for Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho until the county chief proves he is a development conscious leader.
Uhuru who campaigned in Jomvu said the close to five years Joho has been governor have gone to “waste” because Mombasa residents have little to celebrate under his leadership.He said servant leadership entails uplifting the lives of people and not abusing other leaders.“They see themselves as heroes because they stand before crowds to abuse the president,” the commander in chief said in Jomvu.“Will abusing the president put food on Kenyans’ table? Let me tell you, you can abuse me from morning to evening, but I will never miss sleep because of your abuses. My focus is to work towards improving the lives of Kenyans. Anything outside that, to me is like cinema.” Joho, ahead of the president’s visit had promised to hold parallel rallies to counter Jubilee’s.The county chief, has since 2013 been one of Uhuru’s principal critiques.Their differences began when Uhuru declined the governor’s request that the national government buys Waitiki land for Mombasa squatters.Joho also accuses Uhuru of planning to shift the Mombasa port to Naivasha in a bid to cause massive unemployment in Coast because the region does not support him.“Heroes don’t come by abusing others but by working and transforming lives,” he said.“You have been in power but what have you done for the people of Mombasa? Mombasa is now full of garbage. Tell the people of Mombasa how you will clean up garbage.”He said unlike the county government, his administration has constructed markets and built roads in Mombasa.