ODM: Government humiliation of Joho, Kingi is a cover-up

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has accused the Jubilee government of humiliating Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi as a means of diverting the attention of Kenyans off corruption in the country.

In a statement to media houses on Sunday, the party’s chair John Mbadi said the government is hell-bent on frustrating key opposition leaders in a bid to redirect the public discourse away from issues of corruption touching on the National Youth Service, The Youth Enterprise and Development Fund, Huduma Centres and Eurobond.

“The charade championed by Joseph Nkaissery and Nelson Marwa is also meant to divert attention from Jubilee’s electoral theft in Kericho and its failed attempt to steal elections in Malindi,” stated Mbadi.

He stated that the debate over the withdrawal of security personnel attached to opposition leaders is meant to distract the public from the defeat that Jubilee faced in the recently concluded Malindi by-elections.

“The inclusion of the names of Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka in Nkaissery’s list of leaders to lose body guards is meant to escalate the diversion of attention and get corruption and Jubilee’s poor show in the by-elections off the national radar,” read the statement in part.

Mbadi accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of inaction in the fight against corruption, attributing it to the fact that some of those named in corruption allegations are close friends of the president.

“The latest is the massive theft at the Youth Enterprise Development Fund in which Mr Bruce Odhiambo, a personal friend of President Kenyatta and former Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru are implicated,” said the ODM chair.

“This is in addition to the now well-documented theft at the National Youth Service, the Huduma Centres and of Euro Bond funds.”

He appealed to Kenyans to demand for action against those implicated in corruption scandals.

“Kenyans must demand that President Kenyatta and the Jubilee regime take a public stand on these acts of theft and champion the resignation, arrest and prosecution of the thieves. No amount of scapegoating will wash,” he said.

Joho and Kingi have been a subject of government scrutiny in the past week following allegations that their supporters were involved in the harassment of voters during the Malindi by-election

There was uproar on Thursday after the government withdrew bodyguards of Governor Joho and Kingi and ordered the former to surrender his firearms.

In a statement, however, Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery said that the move was part of an overhaul of VIP security details in the country as the government seeks to regulate the number to the required five bodyguards per VIP.

In compliance with the directive, Governor Joho surrendered his firearms on Saturday, though police say he is still left with a rifle, two pistols and ammunition in his possession.

Meanwhile, Governor Joho has thanked the leadership and the people of Mombasa for their solid and continued support through this tussle saying he will continue standing firm in propagating the ideals of ODM.

Joho has also written to Coast regional commissioner Nelson Marwa demanding an apology over his utterances linking him and Kingi to the attack of a woman during the Malindi by-election.

According to the letter, Joho, through his lawyer Balala & Abed Advocates stated that Marwa’s statement amounts to defamation as it insinuates and suggests that he is engaged in organised criminal activities.

@benjaminwafula