Moha Jicho Pevu: These people are out to finish me

 Award-winning investigative journalist Mohammed Ali claims his life is in danger Photo: The Standard

“These people are out to finish me,” he says even before he offers a handshake. He looks around like a haunted man then cautiously pulls a seat. He looks fragile and vulnerable. His voice is weak and shaky.

This is not the calm and composed bold investigator I know. No. Something is amiss. Seconds tick. His eyes wade through the crowd as if he is spying for another Jicho Pevu big story. The irony is, the man who has earned international fame for breaking daring corruption stories and hunting for earth-shaking masterpieces in places where few would dare go is on the shorter end of this narrative. Someone is after him, his life.

“I am receiving a massive beating on Twitter from fake accounts opened by strangers who could actually be handling the issues on behalf of powerful men in the land. Most are accounts with Muslim names, to make it seem like Muslims are against me. I know all these tricks. They tag senior policemen on their tweets and no one responds in my defence,” he reveals, looking around again and taking a long breath.

He is wearing flip-flops, a fitting T-shirt and blue jeans. On this day, quite unlike him, he is not rocking his trademark gold Rolex watch that constantly reminds him to seize the moment as he navigates the landmines of his assignments. He is a man whose heart is racing as he is in unfamiliar territory. Holed up in this scare, time seems to tick away faster.

“The truth is that some powerful people in the government do not want people, especially journalists, to say the truth, and that is why I am a target. They are using religion to portray me as a terrorist-sympathiser yet my record is straight. As an investigative reporter, I have always exposed all social ills-whether by Muslims, Christians or atheists,” he says.

Moha, as he is popularly known, says he is aware that some people have been spying on him every day. They monitor him like a terror mastermind, he says. He has the report through some ‘good cops’ who have been tipping him. If it wasn’t for them, he says he probably wouldn’t be alive now.

“I received a warning from a top officer... He called and told me; “Change your routine”. I asked for more details but he just kept repeating the warning,” the Jicho Pevu KTN host reveals.

So who exactly is chasing after him and why?

“The truth is out there. It is because Moha says things in black and white and corrupt people don’t want to hear anything to do with that. I am forced to live like a mad man. I do not sleep and my life is just one big scary ball,” he responds.

“I change my routes and schedules every day. I do not pick some calls and have to check under my vehicle for things like bombs. These threats are real,” he adds.

Moha, alongside CNN award-winning journalist John-Allan Namu, who left KTN last week have captured the imagination, indignation and attention of many through their explosive exposés that touch on insecurity, extra-judicial killings and corruption. He has done this for years now and so, when did the rain start to beat on the vocal, reggae-loving journalist who is very opinionated, especially on Twitter, where he has a massive following?

“It was after I did Dugudwa la Uchaguzi (50+1) and the open letter I wrote. Some powerful men got cold feet and I have been under constant watch ever since because they fear that I have the youth and Muslim vote,” he says animatedly, adding that the media is being silenced and any journalist who is vocal on real issues affecting the country can no longer be said to be safe now.

“We know of top journalists who have been given tenders, cars and houses and asked to shut up. That is why there are less exposés right now,” he asserts.

Asked whether he has recorded the said death threats to the police, Moha is dismissive, alluding that it is almost useless to do so.

“Ever since 2007, when I joined KTN, I have recorded so many statements with the police and they always say they will investigate. Nothing has been done to date and I promised myself never to record a statement with the police. I am fed up. I have decided to be reporting the issues to my God,” he scoffs.