By OUR CORRESPONDENT
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
Activities in Mombasa town were brought to a standstill on Monday, March 13 morning after officers from the Presidential Escort, the Flying squad and GSU stopped every vehicle searching for Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.
Motorists were subjected to thorough searches as officers from the elite security agencies made frantic efforts to ensure Mr Joho did not slip through their dragnet.
Governor Joho said he was barred from attending the official launch of Mtongwe ferry services that was to be presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta and escorted back to his office with his movement restricted within the Governor’s office precincts.
“I was informed that the president ordered that I should not attend his function, we have been restricted to move out of this office till Uhuru leaves,” he said.
An irate Joho, castigated President Kenyatta for the use of force to stop him from the Mtongwe ferry function saying the launch was not the president’s function but a public one.
Governor Joho argues with a GSU officer after they blocked him at Nyali Bridge while on a motorcycle. PHOTO/COURTESY
“We had good intentions to attend the public’s function, I was not going there because of the president but because of the ferry users who come from my county,” he added.
Mr Joho termed the decision to block him from the function as retrogressive, a violation of his constitutional rights and an abuse of power.
“I will neither shy away from speaking the truth or criticizing the government if that is what this aims to achieve,” he said.
Mr Joho claimed he was blocked from the Mtongwe event because President Kenyatta was scared going to respond to the remarks the head of state made on Sunday, March 12 at Tononoka grounds.
“I do not respond to insults and we will instead use issue-based conversations, call us whatever you want it doesn’t change anything,” he added.
