Joho, Kingi want Marwa to apologize over woman-assault remarks

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi and Kilifi Women Rep. Aisha Jumwa have given Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa seven days to publicly apologize for ordering probe into allegations that their bodyguards assaulted a woman accused of bribing voters in Malindi during the Parliamentary by-election.

The three want Marwa to apologize for what they term as defamatory remarks of associating them with criminal gangs, failure to which they will institute legal proceedings against him.

In a letter dated March 10th, 2016, Kingi’s lawyers demanded that Marwa apologizes immediately and unconditionally to the public within seven days.

“The speech is defamatory to our client as it both expressly and impliedly disparage our client’s reputation by giving impression that our client organized illegal youth groups to cause chaos in Kilifi County,”  read the letter by  Steve Kithi & Co. Advocates.

“You cannot intimidate leaders who have been elected by residents. I am in Kilifi to stay but Marwa can move and if he wishes he can leave this administration job and join politics,” said Kingi.

Jumwa also gave Marwa seven days to apologize to her failure to which they will meet in court.

She asked Marwa to take action against her and the Governors if he has evidence implicating them in the assault of a woman in Malindi.

“If you have evidence that we organized criminal gangs to beat Malindi residents, you should not have come to Lunga Lunga and gather residents to tell them that, you will take action against us. I am giving you seven days to apologize, failure to which I will institute a court suit for injuring my reputation,” said Jumwa.

The politicians now say this is a move to intimidate them after ODM clinched the seat.

Joho said he will not be coerced to join Jubilee through intimidation by withdrawing his security detail.

“If you think we will join Jubilee by intimidating us that cannot happen,” said Joho adding that the withdrawal of his security detail will not shake him.

“If anything happens to me, you know who to ask questions.”

The leaders were speaking in Mwena-Mwereni ward during the ‘homecoming’ of area MCA Kassim Pojjo who was arrested during the Malindi campaigns.

On Thursday, Marwa wanted officers attached Joho, Kingi and Jumwa probed for allegedly attacking and stripping a woman suspected of voter bribery during the Monday by-election in Malindi.