Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho has denied allegations linking him to drug trafficking.
In response to a petition filed by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Genesis for Human Rights challenging his appointment, Joho through his lawyer said the issues raised were unsubstantiated.
“The issues raised by the petitioner are so generalized that it is not possible for any party to adequately respond to them, it is therefore wholly denied and the petitioner invited to prove the same to the standards,” Joho said.
“I want to assure you that I engage in clean business activities—businesses that are transparent, auditable, and visible. When someone talks about the report, they should have the facts,” Joho stated.
The CS in his notice of memorandum filed before court denied claims of irregularly and illegally being appointed into the office.
Furthermore, he denied cases of economic crimes being leveled against him.
The response comes after the High Court judge Lawrence Mugambi directed Joho to respond to the claims before the October 17 hearing last week.
The Human Rights Commission filed a case in court, claiming that Joho was illegally appointed to office. It sought orders to revoke his appointment and initiate a fresh process.
Also Read: Hassan Joho Clears the Air on His Education Qualification
In its petition, the commission argued that the Committee on Appointments had disregarded several memorandums that allegedly contained evidence of Joho’s unsuitability for the position.
Joho Speaks on His Education and Revoking His Appointment
In his affidavit, the CS asserts that the issues regarding academic qualifications and certificates raised by the Commission in his petition are res judicata, meaning they have already been judicially decided.
The former Mombasa governor stated that his academic certificates and qualifications were previously subjected to court proceedings and the case determined by the High Court in Nairobi.
He emphasized that the judgment in Constitutional Petition No. 116 of 2013 cleared him of any disqualification and it was binding on all parties, including the interested party in the current case.
Joho averred that his appointment as Cabinet Secretary is the sole mandate of the Executive, and therefore, the commission made a mistake in law by seeking to have his appointment quashed by the High Court.
“The appointment of the cabinet secretaries is a function of the executive; therefore, it is incompatible with the constitutional setup for any other arm of the government to dictate or direct another arm of the government on how it should carry its mandate without following the due process,” he stated.
Also Read: Joho Explains Why He Accepted Cabinet Nomination Despite Earlier Stance Against Ruto
Drug Trafficking Case
In 2010, then-US ambassador Michael Ranneberger announced travel sanctions against several Kenyan politicians suspected of drug trafficking, including former MPs Harun Mwau, Gideon Mbuvi, Hassan Joho, and William Kabogo.
These individuals were named in a US drug probe, and the Kenyan government confirmed receiving this information from the US embassy after the late Internal Security Minister George Saitoti tabled the list in Parliament.
However, while appearing before the vetting Committee on appointments, Joho denied these claims during the vetting, stating that he was cleared after careful investigations.
“Saitoti tabled a report based on information passed to him through the American Embassy. The dossier was investigated, and Saitoti later returned to Parliament with a report that found no evidence against me,” he said.
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