-The governor said Deputy President William Ruto cannot play saint in the economic problems that have befallen the country.
-Joho said Ruto called him an academic dwarf when he was agitating for good policies for the Mombasa residents.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho on Monday renewed his attacks against Deputy President William Ruto, saying he shares blame for the problems that have beleaguered the country.
Joho accused Ruto of misleading Kenyans with his bottom-up economic model.
The governor said Ruto has been in government for nine years, but has failed to help the people at the grassroots. Joho said Ruto was fond of reminding the people that they are poor (hustlers).
“Why should government officials, a deputy president or even a president, remind you that you are poor? He was in government all those years, what did he do to alleviate his people's poverty?” posed Joho.
According to Joho, the formulation of any economic model is based on two things: in-depth research and one-on-one engagement with the general public.
“You cannot come here and decide that all the youth need boda bodas. Who will be the customer if everyone is boda boda rider? We need to balance our economy,” Joho said.
Speaking during the World Tourism Day celebrations at PrideInn Hotel in Mombasa, Joho said in 2016 when they were highlighting the issues that affected Kenyans, Ruto and his allies were silent.
“I have seen people who think they can do more than what we have done for the coastal people, barking a lot. Not so long ago, we issued a detailed statement of the status of Mombasa’s economy. The first person to respond was Ruto, who called me an academic dwarf,” Joho said.
He said a section of Mombasa leaders was opposed to transfer of port services to Naivasha.
Ruto, who was in Mombasa to campaign for Jubilee Party then, said Joho is an academic dwarf who does not understand the port matters.
“When I stood to raise those economic issues then, I was called names. He (Ruto) questioned how the ocean could be transferred to Naivasha. Today, Mombasa's economy is badly beaten and he is playing a saint and promising how he will transform it,” Joho said.
He said Ruto had never stood with Mombasa people and the issues affecting the region are not about money alone, but bad policies.
“Some of these issues are not even about money, they are policy issues. For example, the way the port operates, it’s a policy issue that we want to change. It must be changed, but we must first engage one another,” he said.
The governor said he has been at the forefront fighting for Mombasa people.
“In our meetings with President Uhuru Kenyatta, I lobbied for the roads, bridges and the Dongo Kundu projects that are coming up today,” Joho said.
He asked the national government to embrace the open-sky policy for Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
The government has restricted some international airlines from flying directly to Mombasa in a bid to protect the national carrier, Kenya Airways.
Currently, Mombasa receives Uganda Airline, Rwandair, Turkish Airline and Qatar Airways.
“When we ask for more scheduled flights to Mombasa, we are told that we need to protect Kenya Airways. Why do we need to protect Kenya Airways, which keeps on making huge losses?” Joho said.
The governor was accompanied by among others MPs Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe) and Mombasa Deputy Governor Dr William Kingi.
During the event 300 beach operators, who have been trained by the Mombasa county government graduated.
Edited by Henry Makori