I have no grudge against Joho, but questions must be asked — Ali

Nyali MP Mohammed Ali on Friday said he has no personal issues with Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho "but will not keep quiet when things go wrong".

The MP said he is not opposed to leaders working together and is ready to work with Joho towards a common goal that will benefit the people of Mombasa.

“We should not work together just to be sycophants for others,” Ali told the Star on the phone. 

Joho likened Ali to a sadist "who is ready to hurt himself if it means his colleagues will suffer more". He spoke on Thursday at the ASK Mombasa International Show.

He accused the MP of being as a lone ranger.

“When one of our own goes forward we should support them and correct them when they go wrong. And where we go wrong we rectify,” the governor said.

The bone of contention was a lucrative cargo deal that Autoport Freight Terminal Ltd won and which the MP said would monopolise the Nairobi Freight Terminal in Syokimau. Autoport is associated with the Joho family. 

On Monday, Ali said the deal is suspect and called on the DCI and the DPP to investigate.

But Joho said, “If it doesn’t please you, my friend, find it in yourself to sacrifice on behalf of the others….so that our country goes forward.”

He added, “We have decided we are not among the sadists. We have moved from there. And those are still among them, move out of there." 

On Friday, Ali said he will not allow resources to be divided selfishly.

“Do we have roads? Electricity? Security? Do our children go to school? These are the questions that we are asking,” he said.

He said Joho should not hide behind the accusations that he does not want to work with others, terming the governor's parable on Thursday as an insult to the Coast people, portraying them as sadists.

“You can’t give an example of three tribes and then make the tribe of Mombasa look bad. He is among the tribe of Mombasa and should not make us look like we are sadists,” Ali said.

“More egregious is to make a comparison that belittles our Coast people as evil while elevating other communities. No Joho. No.” 

“We will continue questioning him if he does wrong,” the MP said, adding that the governor is the one who does not want dialogue and "is only used to ordering people around".

Edited by R.Wamochie