By Dorcas Sarkozy
I will make this short and pointed and be as measured as I possibly can be given how furious I am:
Hassan Ali Joho has been a consistent and loyal supporter of Raila Amolo Odinga almost to a fault. The Governor of Mombasa has certainly risked his reputation and personal safety in support of values and positions consistent with those of NASA.
Consider the following:
Mr. Joho has called out Jubilee’s corrupt, incompetent and partisan governance including (a) its unfair treatment of IDPs in the coastal region, (b) the party’s machinations to transfer cargo handling (and jobs and related economic activities) inland – away from the county he governs.
Finally, Hassan Joho has been a consistent critic of Jubilee’s failure to address, let alone discuss the core issues that have rendered most of his constituents squatters in their own lands; this while enriching others including the Kenyatta family!
Along the way, the Mombasa Governor has exposed the thin-skinned and less-than presidential timbre of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
And for standing up for his constituents AGAINST a demonstrably corrupt and partisan President Kenyatta and Jubilee government, Gov. Joho has been verbally abused, harassed (using government resources i.e. Kenya Revenue Authority, GSU, Security agents) and threatened with physically harm!
Yes, a sitting President of Kenya threatened to “nyorosha” a sitting Governor of Mombasa – home to Kenya’s gateway from the Indian Ocean!
So when social media becomes abuzz with supposedly pro-NASA bloggers lobbing all sorts of accusations against Mr. Joho and his re-election efforts I am left to wonder:
WTF as in “What The $%#%?
These criticisms of Mr. Joho, while part of the vibrant democratic process, are absolutely ill-timed and very dangerous.
I will even excuse the possibility that these people have families and stomachs to feed: I get it! Eat on people!
However, y’all can “eat” without throwing up on yourselves and on others!
Let me offer this sobering perspective:
Back in the late 60s, the oftentimes acrimonious political differences between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya was, for all intents and purposes, the opening, however slight, President Jomo Kenyatta and the goons around him needed to set in motion, the events that resulted in Mboya’s assassination – period!
The men, and yes…..they are ALL men, are deigning along a very slippery and potentially deadly slope with their wild, irresponsible and ill-timed criticism of Hassan Joho.
Let me ask them this simple question:
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE AUGUST 8 GENERAL ELECTIONS?
The answer, in my opinion and as previously written AND now specific to this article, is predicated on the binary choices:
President of Kenya: Raila Amolo Odinga.
Governor of Mombasa: Hassan Ali Joho.
Simply put, these bloggers are demonstrating the “crab mentality” by consciously and deliberately blogging out information detrimental to someone who has continued to risk life and limb to help elect a new direction for a corrupt and flailing Kenya.
I find it utterly crass and irresponsible; indeed dangerous and self-serving to cast aspersions at Ali Joho who has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Raila Odinga – a man these bloggers claim “loyalty” to!
This circular firing squad has to stop!!
#TheOppositionisWatching
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