Nyali MP Mohammed Ali has alleged a scheme by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s family to derail his performance in the constituency.
Ali, a former investigative journalist with KTN, claimed Joho’s elder brother Abu has been coercing women and his supporters in Nyali to write statements against his August 8 victory.
The aim, he said, is for a petition to be filed at Mombasa High Court.
Ali, who vied as an independent candidate, defeated Joho’s cousin Said Abdalla of ODM in the election. The final tally was 26,000 versus 16,000 votes.
Abdalla conceded and congratulated Ali but the latter now alleges that Joho’s family wants him out.
He said three of his female supporters were arrested and forced to write statements.
“We will not be cowed. We will stand against them. The women have refused to be coerced to change their loyalty,” said the legislator.
In his address to the press at Lotus Hotel in Mombasa on Tuesday, Ali said one woman was arrested on August 9 and detained for several hours at different polling stations within Mombasa.
“She was arrested by county inspectorate officers before she was detained at Tudor Inspectorate offices then Kisauni Dogs station and later the police headquarters.”
Ali said the woman he did not name is still facing election malpractice charges at Shanzu law courts.
He added that another woman who has been threatened tried to report the matter at Nyali police station but that officers there refused to take her statement.
Mombasa communication director Richard Chacha dismissed Ali’s claims as mere and petty.
“We will not engage him on this,” Chacha told The Star by phone. “We are not ready for pettiness. The elections are behind us and we are now focusing on the repeat presidential election.”
In April, Ali called for the cancellation of ODM primaries in Nyali, alleging a scheme by Joho and top ODM officials to rig him out.
This was after he found his name missing in the party members register.
Source link-the-star.co.ke
VIDEO: Mohammed Ali accuses Joho’s family of plotting his downfall in Nyali
