Governor Hassan Joho summoned over Malindi by-election violence

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir (left), Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Malindi MP Willy Mtengo in Mtongwe, Likoni constituency on Sunday. The governor yesterday claimed that he had been summoned over the Malindi by-election violence. [PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD]

KENYA: Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho yesterday said he had been summoned to record a statement on the March 7 by-election violence.

The governor said he had been directed to report to the Malindi Police Station.

But Malindi OCPD Makwama Muchangi yesterday evening denied being aware of the summons.

"I am not aware that the governor has been summoned because I am in Nairobi," he said when reached on phone.

Mr Joho told a rally in Kisauni, Mombasa yesterday evening that he had received a call from the Ministry of Interior in Nairobi ordering him to report to the station today at 10am to record a statement over the chaos, barely a week after he was also ordered to surrender his firearms.

"I received a call today at around 4pm from the Ministry of Interior directing me to go to Malindi tomorrow to record a statement over the chaos that happened there during the by-election," he said.

But the governor said he would not obey the summons. His lawyer, Dennis Mosota, said he would represent the governor.

"I am on my way to Malindi to represent him (this was yesterday evening). All the Opposition MPs from the region have been summoned. It is because of the election issue and we are going to represent them," he said.

Joho has for the past one week clashed with Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery over the order to surrender his firearms. He first defied the order and accused the Jubilee administration of intimidating him.

He said as the governor, he had constitutional duties to discharge to the people of Mombasa and that the ministry should have consulted him before issuing the orders.

He told the Government to stop politics of intimidation adding that he had been the subject of attacks and harassment from the State since ODM won the by-election.

"I told them that I am engaged between today and Wednesday and that I will only be available on Thursday at 2pm. They should know that I have constitutional duties to discharge to the electorates," said Joho.

The governor said the Government should have the decorum to consult him on his schedule so that he can continue to serve the people instead of unilaterally fixing the date.

"The ministry should stop threatening me. They (Government) should come for me if they want," he said adding that he could only record the statement in his own free time. Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba and his Mvita counterpart Abdulswamad Nassir said they would accompany the governor to Malindi and stand by him.