Joho Blocked From President Uhuru's SGR Launch in Mombasa

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho was on Wednesday morning blocked from attending the launch of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) at Miritini, presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and senior Chinese Government officials.

The governor’s spokesman Richard Chacha told journalists that police prevented Governor Joho from entering the railway station, where the function of the launch was being held.

Chacha said the Mombasa County boss wanted to attend the launch of the passenger train to enable him question why the SGR cost was inflated by more than Sh100 billion.

On Sunday, during the opposition Coalition National Super Alliance rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi, the governor said that he would attend the launch and take the president head on, seeking answers on why the cost of the rail was inflated.

“Nataka niombe nafasi niende niwaulize pesa za wananchi zile wameiba watarudisha lini,

“Tutalinda kura..tutalala kituoni, tutakesha kituoni, tutaoga kituoni na tutakula kituoni,” noted Joho.

(I seek your permission to meet Jubilee during the launch of the SGR to beseech them to return stolen funds; we shall protect our votes by all means).

The controversial governor has been at logger heads with the head of state in the past, creating a public exchange of words between the two leaders.

The governor was blocked from attending an event where the head of state was re-launching the operations of ferry services at Mtongwe in Mombasa, after threatening to take on the president on various issues.

Joho has accused the President and the Jubilee Administration of plotting to relocate the Mombasa port to Naivasha in Nakuru County, denying his people employment opportunities.

The Jubilee administration has moved to create a special economic zone in Naivasha, in an attempt to improve operations at Mombasa port by reducing the number of clearances done at the Coastal port to Naivasha.