This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho has returned to the country after a month-long tour of the US, but his arrival has been met with criticism over his prolonged absence from the county.
According to Richard Chacha, the county director of communications, Joho jetted into the country on August 12, after a "working" tour in the US.
Chacha defended Joho against accusations that the tour was not beneficial to Mombasa residents, stating that county employees have imprest and the governor's expenses are covered by his own pocket.
Deputy governor William Kingi also defended Joho, saying that the governor's trip was aimed at creating networks with a view to attracting investors to Mombasa county.
Kingi termed the criticism against Joho as political, saying that investors will not come if they do not go out there to look for opportunities.
However, some crucial events had been put on hold by the administration until the governor's return, including the planned commissioning of 10 garbage collection trucks and three fire engines.
The storm over the privatisation of the second container terminal has also coincided with the governor's absence, with local MPs left to put up a spirited fight against the plans.
