Joho Comes Out Clean On Accusations Of Being A Drug Lord

Mining and Blue Economy nominee Hassan Joho has firmly denied allegations linking him to drug trafficking, asserting that he conducts legitimate business activities.

During his vetting by the National Assembly Committee on Appointments for a cabinet position, Joho faced tough questions regarding past allegations that have dogged his career.

The People’s Movement for Human Rights, led by its director Karanja Murai, submitted a memorandum to Parliament contesting Joho’s nomination as a Cabinet Secretary based on these allegations.

“I want to assure you that I engage in clean business activities—businesses that are transparent, auditable, and visible,” Joho stated. “When someone talks about the report, they should have the facts.”

In 2010, then-US ambassador Michael Ranneberger announced travel sanctions on 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 drugs 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.

Joho refuted these claims during the vetting, explaining that he was exonerated after thorough 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.

“I’m not a fool; I come from a family blessed with businesses, and I thank God for what I have. That investigation was concluded.”

The former Mombasa Governor insisted that the matter must be put to rest, accusing political adversaries of using these allegations to undermine his career.
“The irony is the selective use of records against me. If there were any validity to these claims, there would have been subsequent legal action,” Joho argued.

“This issue needs a permanent closure. When I was campaigning in 2013, there were billboards urging people not to vote for a ‘baron’ but for change.”

Joho emphasized his clean record, noting that despite the US dossier on drug trafficking, he was granted a visa to travel to the United States.

“Immediately after that report, I received a US visa to accompany you during your tenure as Foreign CS. I plan to travel to the United States, Canada, and Australia to seek investors,” Joho said.

Legislators also questioned Joho about his past political feud with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, highlighting their public clashes and speculations that the animosity was related to “unclean business” dealings.

Joho remains one of the few politicians who openly criticized a sitting president.

“As governor, I was the sharpest critic of the Jubilee government and had personal altercations with them. Don’t you think if I were engaged in illegal activities, I wouldn’t have survived that regime?” Joho asked rhetorically.

Joho was also a vocal critic of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), claiming it would harm businesses at the Coast. He opposed plans to develop the Naivasha dry port in Nakuru County, arguing it lacked economic sense.

On March 13, 2017, tensions between Joho and Kenyatta were high when the President told Joho to stop “following him around,” saying he (Uhuru) was not his “wife.” Kenyatta warned Joho, “He should not play with us, or else we will teach him a lesson.”

Despite their rocky past, Joho and Kenyatta have since reconciled, finding common political ground and putting their differences behind them.