Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has declared his 2022 presidential bid. Speaking in Mombasa on Friday after he launched an anti-malaria campaign, Joho said not even the Kenyatta-Odinga handshake will stop his bid for the country’s top most seat.
The flamboyant politician dismissed the unity deal between President Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga, stating that it had no bearing in his bid to be Kenya’s next president.
“Handshake or no handshake, I (Joho) will still vie for the presidency in 2022,” Joho declared.
He exuded confidence that he will trounce Deputy President William Ruto, who is considered the frontrunner for the seat in the next polls. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy party leader further disclosed that he will be staging countrywide tours to consolidate his support and woo voters ahead of the 2022 elections.
Joho, who had initially endorsed the Uhuru-Raila handshake, said that it will not stop him from speaking about injustices committed by the government on the people of Mombasa.
“Handshake or no handshake, anything affecting the people of Coast or Mombasa in particular I will address it because that is why I was elected,” Joho said.
“We will continue to question what we consider to be wrong, regardless of the handshake,’’ he added.
He hit out at DP Ruto over his opposition in the plans to amend the Constitution. “Nobody owns the Constitution, it belongs to the people of Kenya and if they want it to be changed, so be it as long as it is in their interest,” said Joho.
