MP Ali, county executive clash over pulled down billboards

The Buxton billboard pulled down / BRIAN OTIENO

One of the billboards at Buxton in Mombasa / BRIAN OTIENO

Lands executive Mohamed ‘Amadoh’ Hussein / BRIAN OTIENO

Nyali MP Mohammed Ali / BRIAN OTIENO

As the political competition in Mombasa heats up, various camps are now using underhand tactics to try and elbow their rivals out of contention.

On Tuesday, Mombasa residents woke up to empty billboards where Nyali MP Mohammed Ali’s voter listing campaign messages were previously.

Ali said an animated version of the same message, which encourages the youth to register as voters in large numbers, may also face the same on digital screens.

In a statement, Ali said the billboards at Buxton, Likoni Ferry and Kibarani were removed on Monday evening, pointing an accusing finger at the county government.

He said the three outdoor billboards were lawfully procured through Magnate Ventures and other licensed vendors, but were forcibly pulled down following intimidation and threats directed at the advertising operators.

“I have further been informed that similar threats have been extended to operators of digital screens across the county, warning them against airing an animated version of the same message.

“Vendors have pointed to pressure emanating from within the county government led by Governor Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir,” he said in the statement.

However, the county said they are not responsible for the pulling down of the billboards.

Instead, the county said, it is Ali who orchestrated the pulling down so as to draw sympathy from Mombasa residents.

“We know his games. Why would we approve a much needed source of revenue for us only to expose ourselves to legal action by going against it in the end? We are not stupid or uncivilized,” a senior county official who refused to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media, told the Star.

The official, who is close to Governor Nassir, said this is one way of Ali trying to portray himself as a victim of machination by the county so as to paint the county administration in bad light.

“He know the narrative. Paint the county administration in bad light so that the blame falls on Governor Nassir, who is then supposed to appear as afraid of Ali, which is his daydream,” the official said.

Lands, Housing, Urban Planning and Serikali Mitaani executive Mohamed ‘Amadoh’ Hussein however said the county has nothing to do with the incident.

Amadoh said their role is only to license the advertising operators and they do not control what is advertising agents put up.

“The Magnate Ventures and the likes have a right to do business with anyone they like after getting licenses from us.

“Why did he not come to us when putting up his advertisements? Why try to mud-smirk the county when trying to do his own shenanigans?” an angry Amadoh posed.

He accused Ali of trying to seek sympathy from Mombasa residents “after seeing things looking bleak for his gubernatorial bid”.

Ali said the message carried on the billboards were not inflammatory, not partisan, and not unlawful.

Here is the message: “Utawala Bora sio zawadi. Ni haki yako. Chukua kura tujikomboe (Good governance is not a gift. It is your right. Register. Liberate ourselves).”

“This is a civic message encouraging voter registration—nothing more, nothing less. The pulling down of billboards with such civic messaging is an outright abuse of power and the suppression of civic space.

“It violates our freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 33 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to communicate ideas, particularly those of public interest,” the Nyali MP said.

He said the action further suppresses voter awareness efforts in the Coast as a futile attempt to maintain the historical low voter registration levels in the region.

“This deplorable action also infringes on the rights of private businesses as advertising vendors are being intimidated and threatened for simply engaging in legitimate commerce,” Ali said.

Ali said Mombasa has for a long time been run “by people who assume that the whole county is their family affair dictating how private entities operate and how the common mwananchi lives.”

“The county has been milked dry at the expense of Mombasa people. We are equally leaders from Mombasa and will stand firm to put an end to this entrenched system of politics run by oligarchs that has normalized poor service delivery, concentrated power in a small circle, and treated citizens as beneficiaries, not owners of their county,” the MP said in the statement.

However, county executive Amadoh dismissed Ali as a self-seeking politician out to trash the images of fellow leaders.

“If the people of Mombasa reject you, it is not the county’s fault. Why do you want ti drag the county into a personal matter between you and the people you engaged in business with? We were not there when they signed their agreement. Why bring us into the picture now?”  Amadoh said.

The executive said MP Ali was advertising himself in the billboards and not the voter listing drive.

“I did not see any IEBC message or Ethekon’s image in the billboards. I only saw his huge face as if he wanted to intimidate Mombasa residents into voting for him,” Amadoh said.

He accused Ali of being an attention seeker.

“He is a drama queen. It is not the first time he is engaging in this type of performance. He is so good at actin that I think he is in the wrong career.

“He should be in Hollywood. Hollywood should come for him because he is wasting his talent in politics. The county supports creatives and we see him as one of the best creatives in Mombasa. He belongs to Hollywood,” Amadoh said.

But Ali insisted the real issue is not the billboard but the message on the billboard.

“It was a simple message that reminds people of Mombasa that leadership is a right, not a favour, that public office is accountability, not entitlement, and that the people must reclaim their voice through the vote,” Ali said.

He called in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently investigate and intervene “in what is clearly interference with legitimate voter registration awareness efforts.”

He also called on the people of Mombasa to remain vigilant.

“This is not about one candidate. It is about your right to choose leadership freely,” he said.