This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
On April 22, 2020, a court in Mombasa delivered a ruling that could see Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho spend six months in jail.
The ruling, which was delivered electronically, means that the court will proceed with sentencing Mr Joho and Changamwe MCA Bernard Ogutu, who were found guilty of disobeying court orders.
Justice Sila Munyao of the Environment and Land Court in Mombasa dismissed Mr Joho's application to set aside the orders citing him for contempt, saying he found no merit in it.
According to the ruling, Mr Joho actively participated in the application through the county attorney, which is an office within the county government of Mombasa.
Justice Munyao said that Mr Joho cannot escape responsibility for acts of disobedience as the chief executive of the county government.
Mr Joho had argued that substantial loss would be occasioned to him if the order of stay and free bond were not granted, as it involved deprivation of his personal liberty.
However, the court ruled that Mr Joho's arguments were not persuasive, and he was not served with the application dated May 17, 2019, or was not aware of it.
The case will be mentioned on May 27 for directions.
