While Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho might be a very identifiable figure in both the political and social circles in Kenya, his elder brother is a person whom many might not be able to pick out in a crowd.
He is commonly referred to as Alpha or Abu Joho, but his real name is Said Abdalla Joho, the firstborn in the family of seven.
Those around him indicate that Abu is humble and down to earth person who would rarely, if ever, appear at public rallies, and even when he did, he would take a backseat and would refuse to be introduced to the crowd.
The mogul is reported to be in charge of the family businesses and has interests in shipping, import and export and is alleged to be one of the heavyweights in the hotel industry in Mombasa.
He is reported to be fond of jogging on the roadside or doing press-ups at Nyali Beach, and on weekends, he would be clad in a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans, driving on the affluent parts of Mombasa.
Abu, despite his cool demeanor, has had a number of run-ins and close shaves with the figures in authority.
Daily Nation reported in 2018 that three days before the 2017 polls, then Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa had had enough of Abu, who was reported to have been the center of power whenever Joho was not in the county.
“Who is this person that you are calling Alpha? You are comparing human beings to God. The Almighty is the Alpha and Omega. People are operating as if they are demigods. We will not allow that,” he was quoted.
Marwa also accused him of driving around in tinted cars, which he alleged were changed not less than ten times each day, a matter that he stated was suspicious in itself.
It is claimed that Abu has been the chief financier of Joho’s extravagant political campaigns in the Coast region, ever since he ran for the Kisauni parliamentary seat all the way to his gubernatorial post.
