Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has for the first time addressed backlash drawn by his month-long trip abroad.
The Governor defended his trip saying that he needed to re-energize himself and come back with “fresh thinking” to benefit Mombasa residents.
While speaking during an interview with KTN on Wednesday at the sidelines of the 5th annual Devolution Conference in Kakamega, he said the trip was of utmost importance to his work.
“I travelled recently for work and took a vacation, said the governor.
He dismissed his critics saying that even before he joined politics, he had been traveling.
“I had been travelling way before I became a politician,” Joho stated.
During his trip to Europe, Joho came under fire from a section of county assembly members who said that the county’s development agenda was being hurt by the prolonged foreign trips.
“There is a good team to drive the county’s development agenda in his absence but it is common knowledge that in his absence some things cannot move,” Kipevu MCA Faith Pendo according to the Standard.
Read: Joho’s foreign trips causes jitters among Mombasa electorate
However, his Deputy Dr. William Kingi said termed the criticism is unwarranted because there is no vacuum in the county leadership since Joho left a fortnight ago.
“There is no vacuum at all. In his absence I perform all his duties and it is only people who want to politicise the otherwise worthwhile trips,” noted Dr Kingi.
Joho reiterated that the county has structures that ensure all functions run normally even in his absence.
“I was not missing but away for other matters. During this time, I had a functioning government … I have competent teams. We have structures that work,” added the Mombasa Governor.
He also said that politicians too are human beings and need vacation once in a while.
“We are not only politicians but also humans who are allowed to take holidays once in a while,” said Joho noting he thanks God because he is able “pay for his trips.”
Read more: Kirinyaga electorate reacts to video showing deputy Governor in “an indecent act”
Read more: Experts want government to close Narok Highway due to cracks