Joho pressed to name new cabinet amid uncertainty

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has not named his cabinet two weeks after the term of his entire team expired.

This has sparked speculations about what is holding the naming of the new executive committee. The entire cabinet left office on November 12 at the end of the ministers' two-year contracts.

Two days later, Mr Joho promised to name a new cabinet in a matter of days and also hinted that some of the outgoing executives would not be considered for failing to fulfill his manifesto.

Second term

Fatuma Awale, Hazel Koitaba and Taufiq Balala are the only executives Joho retained in his second term in office.

Other members of the outgoing cabinet comprise Deputy Governor William Kingi, who holds the Education docket, Maryam Mbaruk (Finance), Godfrey Nato (Environment), Munywoki Kyalo (Youth and Sports), Seth Odongo (Devolution), Fawz Rashid (Trade and Tourism), Edward Nyale (Lands) and Hassan Mwamtoa of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Already outgoing Water Executive Awale has indicated she intends to return to private life and personal business after her seven-year tenure.

With no cabinet in place and the dockets being managed by chief officers, there is mounting pressure on the governor to name a new government. Insiders say the governor is trying to navigate diverse and conflicting interests as he crafts his new cabinet.

Yesterday, Joho's supporters said there was no crisis in Mombasa and called for patience.

Nominated MCA and Mombasa ODM chairman who also chairs the County Assembly's Budget Committee Mohamed Khatimy said yesterday that "Mombasa residents should give the governor time because he is doing his best to come up with the best team".

Mr Khatimy said the governor cannot rush to form a cabinet that will invite criticism.

Other sources said intense lobbying for the positions and influence-peddling could have contributed to the delay to reconstitute the cabinet.

Reports indicate that besides lobbying by some of his outgoing executives, the governor is also contending with interested parties from within the business community, the ODM party and the national government, who seek a stake in the new cabinet.

"Joho is after a legacy and lately he has been on a reconciliation effort including making peace with former rivals like Tourism CS Najib Balala, and 2013 and 2017 gubernatorial rival Suleiman Shahbal," says an official who asked not to be named.

The official says the new cabinet will represent the new dynamics and realities and could have surprise faces, including people and former employees that fell out with the governor in recent years.

Days after sending the cabinet team home, Joho had promised to name the new members within three to four days, but political considerations are said to have made the selection process take longer.

Once named, the nominees have to be vetted by the County Assembly before they are sworn in.

New team

Joho said he was currently listening to his voters before putting in place a new team that would deliver on his policies.

“I have done an evaluation on what each CEC has achieved in the past two years. There are some who have done well and others are wanting. I was given a five-year mandate by voters and I have in turn to evaluate the performance of the people under my leadership. In three to four days, I will make a decision on who stays and who goes,” Joho explained.

He said focus has been on county executives because they provide policy guidelines and ensure chief officers and those below them implement.

According to the governor, stop-gap measures have been put in place to ensure there was no vacuum in his government.