Joho Blocked From Attending SGR Launch At Miritini

Mombasa Governor, Hassan Ali Joho was on Wednesday blocked by the police from attending the launch of Standard Gauge Railway at Miritini.

President Kenyatta is presiding over the launch of the Sh327 billion project and in attendance are top Chinese officials and Kenya government officials.

Mr Joho’s spokesman Richard Chacha said security personnel prevented Mr Joho from entering the station.

The governor, he said, wanted to attend the launch of the passenger train so that he could question why the SGR cost was inflated by more than Sh100 billion.

Mr Joho had on Monday threatened to stop SGR’s launch for what he termed as “exaggeration of the project’s budget”.

“The project was to cost not more than Sh200 billion but the Jubilee government is telling us it has cost more than Sh300 billion. We deserve answers before the launch,” he said in Siaya town when Senator James Orengo presented his nomination papers.

Joho accused the Jubilee administration of “oiling the wheels of corruption at the expense of service delivery”.