Joho supporters want him sworn-in as Railas deputy

Disgruntled supporters of the National Super Alliance (NASA) on Friday February 2, took to the streets of Mombasa County demanding Mombasa Governor  Ali Hassan Joho be ‘sworn-in’ as the people’s Deputy President’.

This comes after NASA Co-principal and Raila Odinga’s running mate in the August 8 election Kalonzo Musyoka was a no show during the January 30, controversial ‘swearing-in’ at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.

The irked NASA supporters termed the reasons given by NASA co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula for not attending the ‘oathing’ ceremony as flimsy and as such, governor Joho should be ‘sworn-in’ as Odinga’s running mate.

“Just by being present during the swearing in at Uhuru Park, our governor represented the entire Coast region and it is now time for him to step up into national politics because he is a hero,” said a NASA supporter.

“Joho’s security detail has been withdrawn countless times, yet he still soldiered on in fighting for the interests of the people of the Coast region. So if he is in the office, he should come out so that we can swear him in immediately,” said another supporter.

The protests come in the wake of a government’s crackdown on leaders involved in the Tuesday January 30, ‘swearing-in’.

Odinga was sworn in as the ‘People’s President’ in an oath administered by Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang and former Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Miguna Miguna in a ceremony skipped by his co-principals much to the wrath of NASA supporters.

Mr. Musyoka has since absolved himself from blame, claiming that he was blocked from accessing the venue, while Mr. Odinga “managed to evade the police dragnet” as he did not spend Monday night at his Karen home.

“On Tuesday morning, security officers attached to me were asked to leave their designations. My security personnel in Nairobi and my rural home in Tseikuru were all taken away. My bodyguards, who follow me to every function; – and are always with me in my car –, were also deployed elsewhere and threatened that should they be seen with me, they will get the sack,” said Kalonzo while addressing journalists on Tuesday night.

“Wetangula, Mudavadi and I did not make it to Uhuru Park because we had been detained in an undisclosed room in the city. That’s what happened,” added the former Vice President.

The five principals would later come out in a show of unity and address a press conference on Thursday claiming that the no show was a “tactical move” that Odinga was aware of.