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WATCH: Why Hassan Joho missed Azimio’s maandamano


Former Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho explained why he had been absent from opposition-led meetings and demonstrations in recent months.

His absence was especially notable considering he is a strong opposition voice and one of Raila Odinga’s fiercest loyalists and lieutenants.

Speaking to NTV, the former outspoken governor said he had been dealing with health issues and had sought treatment abroad, hence his silence and absence in the country and its ongoing heated politics.

“Let it be known that I have been unwell. I have gone through some surgery, and I am recovering and that is the only reason as to why you haven’t seen me where I am supposed to be seen. But I want it to be known that I subscribe, 100 percent, fully, completely to the ideology of Azimio and that of Raila Odinga. I am ODM and ODM is me. Baba is me and I am Baba. It must be known. There is no doubt about that. My health problems did not allow me to before and I am yet to fully recover up to now to engage in the political push and pull.

While receiving treatment, I saw on television and I was aggrieved in my heart that I was not part of the demonstrations. It’s only that people sometimes do not want to understand the conversation and think that it is easy and want to politicize everything day in, day out,” said Joho in part.

The remarks comes amid claims there was a cold wind blowing between himself and Mr Odinga after he lost the August 2022 presidential election. Raila Odinga had promised Joho a cabinet position in his government should he have won but once the election results were announced, John disappeared from mainstream television and social media.

He resurfaced once to have a meal with Raila, showing that everything was okay in the Orange Democratic Movement and between them. He disappeared again and only posted photos of himself touring the United States of America, Dubai and some European countries. He returned to the country at the beginning of this month for Ramadhan. He was spotted breaking fast with fellow Muslims on Makadara Street before holding meetings in Tudor; and that was when it was known he was back in the country after months of living abroad.

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