This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
As Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho toys with constituting his executive cabinet months after its predecessor's term expired, bribery and sex exploits have dogged the county. According to information obtained by Weekly Citizen, Governor Joho's brother, Abubakar Joho, and key allies, including the assembly speaker, are part of the kitchen cabinet involved in the process.
Those eyeing the cabinet seats have allegedly been using millions to influence appointments, with the delay being a strategy to allow those involved to mint millions. Governor Joho had promised to name the cabinet immediately after the outgoing executives were sent packing on November 12, following the expiry of their two-year contracts.
It is worth noting that when Governor Joho won his second term, he retained Fatuma Awale, Hazel Koitaba, and Tawfiq Balala in his cabinet. Koitaba is close to the Joho family. Those removed from the cabinet include deputy governor William Kingi, who held the education docket, and are unlikely to make a comeback are Maryam Mbaruk (finance), Godfrey Nato (environment), Munywoki Kyalo (youth and sports), Seth Odongo (devolution), Fawz Rashid (trade and tourism), Edward Nyale (lands), and Hassan Mwamtoa of agriculture and fisheries.
Weekly Citizen reported on January 6, 2020, that Governor Joho had promised to name a new cabinet in days and ruled outgoing executives being considered.
