Joho: Why I Skipped President Uhuru's Meeting with Governors

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has revealed why he skipped President Kenyatta's meeting with Governors on Thursday.

While majority of Governors from the ruling and opposition side attended the induction meeting, Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi were conspicuously absent. However, his director of communications said other engagements kept Joho out of the crucial forum.

“The governor had other pre-arranged commitments like the lighting of Christmas Tree, meeting Chinese delegates and chairing his Cabinet meeting,” said Richard Chacha, Joho’s director of communications.

Speaking when he formally opened the meeting, President Kenyatta sent a warning to Governors pushing for secession, stating that government will jealousy guard Kenya's territorial integrity. Joho and Kingi have vowed to push for separation of the coast region citing marginalization by current and past governments.

Asked on Joho's beef with the President, Chacha said the differences were mainly due to Jubilee administration's failure to recognise the role of the counties in the implementation grassroots projects.

“The governor spoke openly even before the President. If those are the differences then I can assure you it will continue,” said Chacha, adding that Joho’s differences with Uhuru are not personal.