Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is arguably one of the top and most respected political players in the Coastal region and the country at large.
His bold and flamboyant nature has endeared him to many, especially the youth.`
Apart from politics, Joho is also a respected businessman with a number of investments across the Coast region and the country.
While he currently enjoys a respectable amount of wealth, what many don’t know is that he started out as a hawker, selling snacks in the streets of Mombasa.
In this article, NairobiLeo outlines how Joho rose from poverty to being a multi-millionaire:
Speaking during an interview on Churchill Show in August 2020, Joho noted that he did not have an easy journey growing up, adding that he was brought up in a humble neighborhood.
Giving a tour of the house where he was raised, Joho divulged that his late grandmother used to make vitumbua; a popular Swahili snack, after which he would pack and go hawking them around the estate.
“My late grandmother used to make vitumbua every afternoon. Whenever I cam e back from school, my job would be to pack, carry and sell," he divulged.
Due to financial constraints in the family, Joho says he waited for a whole year before joining form one.
Menial Jobs
While in form three, Joho decided to pursue menial jobs in order to generate income for his survival.
“When I was in form 3 I started doing all manner of jobs. I tried finding how I could help sustain the family going forward,” he said.
He further noted that he approached his principal and came to an agreement where he was allowed to occasionally leave school to undertake manual jobs to raise money for his family.
While struggling with manual jobs, he was lucky to get an off-loader position at the port. He notes that he used his salary to further his education.
At the port, he interacted with businessmen and was able to acquire and build his sales and marketing skills.
Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho. [Photo: Courtesy]
Making his First Million
At the age of 20, Joho secured the position of a clearing and forwarding agent at the Port of Mombasa; a job that changed his life for the better.
While serving as a clearing and forward agent, he got a deal that saw him earn Sh6.6 Million; which he says was the largest amount of money he had ever handled.
“I started working at a very early age and my first transaction that changed my life was roughly at age 20. I got a clearing and forward job and I made a cheque of 6.6 million that is the first money I got and was like this is it,” he said.
He later expanded his business empire to include investment in pesticide and waste management, which saw him earn a 5-year contract with the Kenya Ports Authority
Joining Politics
In 2004, he ventured into politics and contested the Kisauni seat during a by-election following the death of former Local Government Minister Karisa Maitha. He was unfortunately trounced by Anania Mwaboza.
In the 2007 general election, he again contested for the seat and emerged victorious. He was later appointed an assistant minister in the grand coalition government.
Following the proclamation of the new constitution in 2010 that created position go governor, Joho contested the Mombasa gubernatorial seat in 2013 and emerged victorious.
In 2017, he successfully defended his seat and served for five years after which he vacated office in September 2022.
He had been promised the position of Lands cabinet Secretary by former Prime Minister Odinga, but unfortunately, the later did not win the 2022 presidential contest.
