On 20 November 2018, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho used a public appearance with President Uhuru Kenyatta to underline how far their relationship had shifted. The two, once known for sharp public attacks, were seen exchanging jokes and pleasantries in Mombasa during the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service and a Jumuiya ya Kaunti Za Pwani conference.
The president had arrived in Liwatoni to commission the Coast Guard Service, a move framed around protecting Kenya’s maritime resources. He was accompanied by Deputy President William Ruto, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and Governor Joho, and the gathering came only days after Kenyatta and Joho met in Paris, France.
Joho told the conference that he was influential because of his working relationship with the president. He also used the platform to recount how he helped Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi after Kingi was stranded in Italy when his passport was stolen. Joho said he contacted the Foreign Affairs ministry to help secure temporary travel documents so Kingi could return home.
“Mr president, an old person can also lose his passport. That is what happened to my colleague. But being influential and because I am sitting next to the president, I used the opportunity to call the Foreign Affairs ministry. I told the ministry to find the governor and make sure he found his way back home,” he said.
“I am next to the president here. That means I am influential, so can’t I help my colleague to get his travel documents to return home?”
Joho also praised Kenyatta as a leader who acts decisively and serves the country with dignity. He urged the president to protect recovered public land by placing a caveat on it, warning that grabbed property could be lost again if left unsecured.
In response, Kenyatta directed the Fisheries department and the National Land Commission (NLC) to recover and secure all fish landing sites in Kenya by next year. He said many of the sites and other public properties were in the wrong hands after being illegally acquired by private developers.
The president also thanked Joho for hosting the conference and Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi for agreeing to a change of venue. He told delegates that the government would visit Kilifi another time and urged coastal leaders to work together rather than compete against one another.
“Mr Godhana, you are not competing with Joho or Samboja. We are not competing with anyone. If we succeed in reviving tourism, agriculture and the livestock business, we will move forward with hope,” he said.
Those present included Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana, Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja and Lamu Governor Fahim Twaha. Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya attended the Coast Guard launch only. The mood remained relaxed throughout the day, with Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto appearing at ease around Joho despite the governor’s earlier claims that he would give Ruto a run for his money in the 2022 presidential race.
Joho’s communication director, Richard Chacha, said the warmer ties between the governor and the president would help push government projects in the counties. He linked the new political mood to the handshake between Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, saying the relationship would benefit Mombasa and other coastal counties through regional projects funded by the national government.
“It is good that the two leaders are now speaking on the same issues, issues that touch on the people. Basically, the governor is happy with this new-found friendship. It will enhance some projects,” he said. “We depend on the national government in undertaking some county projects. With the two leaders walking together, all these projects will be realised.”
The 2022 presidential race was already part of the political backdrop, with Joho publicly positioning himself against Ruto even as he shared a stage with the deputy president in Mombasa.
