Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho ready to defend his degree certificate

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho says he is ready to prove that his academic degree is genuine.

Through his lawyer Paul Buti, the governor yesterday told a three-judge bench in Mombasa that he has evidence that his degree from Kampala University in Uganda is genuine.

Buti told the bench chaired by Justice Christine Meoli that Joho had "secret arsenal" he will use during the hearing to have activist Silas Otuke's application seeking his dismissal for allegedly holding a fake degree thrown out, if the court allows full hearing.

"My client has a secret arsenal he will use during the hearing if this court rejects our application to strike out the suit," said Buti.

Buti was responding to Otuke's lawyer, Gikandi Ngibuini who told the court that Joho had failed to appeal a decision by Uganda National Examination Council, which recently cancelled his degree.

Ngibuini said the nomination of Joho by Independent Election and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)  to vie in last year's gubernatorial poll was a fraud and that was why his client filed the suit to challenge his election as Mombasa Governor.

The other judges on the bench are Justice Edward Muriithi and Justice Martin Muya.

Ngibuini said he was ready to call witnesses to prove that Joho's degree was not genuine and pleaded with the court not to strike out the case because that will block his client from proving his point, which would be unfair.

But Mohamed Balala, who also appeared for the governor, argued to challenge Joho's election was like challenging the will of voters in the county.

The ruling will be made on September 26.