Joho attacks DP William Ruto over Coast visits to 'meet CORD rebels'

MOMBASA, KENYA: Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho has accused Deputy President Ruto of leading Jubilee's campaign to divide Coast and pretending to love the region.

He accused Ruto of insulting Coast leaders and fostering the rebellion in CORD and accused the opposition movement's legislators who attended Ruto's  rally in Kilifi North on Saturday of betraying the region.

Joho claimed that no matter how many times Jubilee leaders make forays in Coast this will not make local people forget 50 years of marginalisation of the region.

The aggrieved governor who was speaking during a fund raising for an Islamic school Madrassatul Falah Likoni took issues with the CORD rebel leaders who had shown disrespect to the Mombasa leadership and the opposition coalition movement.

Joho spoke on Saturday evening when Ruto met Kilifi North MP Gedion Mung'aro, Kilifi County MP Aisha Jumwa and Kwale County MP Zainab Chidzuga.

"Today there are those who went to Watamu and all over sudden they feel they have a sudden love for the people of the Coast and then you go ahead and start to abuse leaders from the Coast," said Joho.

"We are tired of these abuses on Coast leaders, if you feel you are man enough we are also men, if you have entered the presidential ballot, we will also be in the ballot and face off. But we will not take anymore abuse. If you respect us, we will respect you and if you don't we too wont respect you," said Joho referring to some CORD rebels who had accompanied the deputy President William Ruto in Watamu in Kilfi county.

Joho who took over the Deputy party leader position of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) also took a swipe at the Jubilee Government accusing them of trying to divide the Coast region calling for unity of the region.