This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
On a rare occasion, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has opened up about his humble beginnings. In a candid conversation, Joho revealed that he grew up in a low-income household in Kisauni, Mombasa county, where he dropped out of school due to lack of school fees.
Speaking to comedian Daniel Ndambuki, Joho shared that he was brought up by a single mother who sold tomatoes and other vegetables to make ends meet. He added that life was not as easy as many people imagine, and that he had to seek manual jobs to raise school fees.
‘We did not have money, so I dropped out of school for a year then returned later after my family scraped some cash,’ Joho said.
At the time, Joho was just a teenager, and he had to carry heavy sacks whenever goods entered the port to raise school fees. He even met Somalis who imported goods to Kenya and promised himself that he would never be employed.
Despite the hardships, Joho learned valuable lessons and promised himself that he would never seek employment. He was determined to make a name for himself and eventually learned to do business.
As reported earlier, Joho scored a D- in his KCSE examination in 1993. In a past interview, he admitted to the grade and encouraged young people who failed in their exams, saying that grades would not determine their future.
