Hassan Joho accuses DP William Ruto of lying to coastal people

ODM leader Raila Odinga, governors Hassan Joho and Charity Ngilu, businessman Suleiman Shahbal and Azimio member Peter Kenneth after the opening of Azimio secretariat. May 14, 2022. [Omondi Onyango,Standard]

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has dismissed Deputy President William Ruto’s pledge to return port operations to the county and resolve land issues in the region if elected. 

Joho accused Ruto of lying to residents, saying he is an insider in the regime that moved the port operations to Nairobi and Naivasha, destroying thousands of jobs in the process.

Joho was addressing residents at Cleopatra grounds in Malindi, just two days after Ruto and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi held a rally at the nearby Msabaha grounds when they promised to return port operations to the region and address the land question.

“Some people came here two days ago and tried to castigate Raila for promising Cabinet positions. They said our problems are not Cabinet positions since we have had people from the Coast region who have been ministers for Lands. What I want to tell you is that those ministers were not Hassan Joho,” the governor said.

During Ruto’s rally, Kingi said there have been coastal people who held the Lands docket but did not resolve the land question in the region even as he downplayed the possibility of Joho becoming the Lands cabinet secretary.

While unveiling Martha Karua as his Azimio running mate, Raila gave said he would make Joho the Lands CS.

Joho said: “I’m telling you that I don’t fear anyone. And I promise you that what did not happen in the past will happen when I occupy the Lands office. I believe in myself and I will represent you very well. I will ensure that government buys land to resettle the landless so we don’t go back to the politics of land in future elections.”

Joho also hit out at Ruto, saying he was among leaders who supported the transfer of port operations to Nairobi and Mombasa and accused him of trying to fool Kenyans. 

“Ruto is part of our problem. Ruto supported the transfer of port operations from Mombasa and when I spoke against the plan, he dismissed me and even referred to me as an unschooled fellow. He has never raised all these things he is talking about in the rallies during Cabinet meetings where decisions are made. And some of the leaders who are following Ruto are doing so in their own individual capacities,” said Joho.

The governor played past clips in which the DP could be heard dismissing the quest to return the port operations to Mombasa.