Detectives take Governor Hassan Joho's signature and handwriting specimens

rom left: Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Mombasa’s Hassan Joho, Siaya Senator James Orengo, Joho’s lawyer Mohamed Balala (right) yesterday when Joho was summoned over claims he forged a certificate. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

The fate of Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho now lies with the verdict forgery experts who took samples of his handwriting and signature Wednesday will return.

Joho said he is not afraid even after he saw charge sheets bearing his name during the interrogation.

The experts will analyse the samples against hand-written sections of a document police allege was a forgery Joho used to gain admission to the University of Nairobi.

Joho has denied forging the document and also being the owner of a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate and results result slip showing a Mr Ali Hassan graduating with a grade C+ in 1992 at Serani Secondary School in Mombasa.

Documents leaked from the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), in a confidential communication with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) dated January 26 this year, states the certificate is a forgery.

On Tuesday, Joho said he scored a Grade D- in KCSE in 1993 at Serani Secondary and denied any links with the 1992 document. On Monday, Serani Secondary principal Abbas Ulaya said a candidate by the name Hassan Ali sat KCSE at the school in 1993.

Joho traced the investigations to a 2013 incident in Nairobi, in the run up to the elections, when four men were arrested trying to forge documents bearing his name at the University of Nairobi. The university also reported its computer systems had been breached, Joho said.

Investigation into this matter gathered pace in Mombasa yesterday as detectives from DCI headquarters in Nairobi were flown in to interrogate the governor who was accompanied to Coast police headquarters by six lawyers.

Sources told The Standard the interrogation, which was led Samuel Nyambengi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police by rank, took about 90 minutes. Joho did not write a formal statement.

“Detectives wanted to know if he had knowledge of or link with the 1992 document which he denied. The session ended after he was asked to give the sample of his handwriting and signature,” said a source.

Reports also indicate that Joho, who was questioned in the office of DIC’s regional coordinator Pius Macharia, was asked about documents he used to vie for office in the 2013. It is not clear what transpired over this amid reports detectives wish to know if Joho presented the 1992 certificate to be cleared to vie in 2013.

Joho was accompanied by a battery of lawyers led by Siaya Senator James Orengo. Also present was Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and Rabai MP William Kamoti.

Joho linked President Kenyatta to his tribulations claiming the Head of State had publicly threatened to “bring me down and destroy me.”

Orengo dismissed the investigation he claimed is politically motivated to harass and sabotage the opposition.