Hassan Joho Put to Task Over His Academic Qualifications

Mining Cabinet Secretary nominee Hassan Joho has disclosed that he started working before pursuing further academic qualifications. 

Appearing before the National Assembly vetting committee on Sunday, August 4, Joho stated that he began his early education at Tom Mboya Primary School in Mombasa before later joining Serani Secondary School in the same county.

The former Mombasa governor further intimated that after he concluded his secondary school education, he ventured into business.

"I have a different approach to how I want to present my introduction because I started work and then further education came later. After I finished secondary school, I ventured into business. I set up a clearing and forwarding company in Mombasa, then later diversified into opportunities in fintech, a bit of real estate and largely logistics," Joho remarked.

He noted that he continued with business until 2004 when he began his grassroots involvement and ran for a political seat in a by-election, which he did not win.

Joho added that he went on to become the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the Kisauni constituency before embarking on his first academic degree in 2006.

"In 2006, I did a bridging course to enable me to join university. I did a diploma in 2007 and eventually graduated from Kampala University in 2013. Thereafter, I did another degree in Gretsa University in Thika and then later enrolled in Harvard Kennedy School of Government for a programme known as public leadership credentials which is basically a pathway to attain a mid-career Master's Degree in public administration," he stated.

Joho disclosed that before he started serving as the Mombasa governor in 2013, he served as an MP for Kisauni and served in different committees in parliament.

"I also served as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Transport during President Mwai Kibaki's administration and was governor for two terms where I drew experience in matters governance and transformational ways of doing business in government," the former governor explained.

Additionally, Joho declared that even though he did not do well in his secondary education, he was currently pursuing a Master's Degree.

"I did not do well in my secondary school. I got a D- but I turned that around. I hold two degrees currently and am on my pathway to attaining a Master's Degree from the most prestigious university in the world," he remarked.

If approved, he will take over from Salim Mvurya who has been nominated as the Cabinet Secretary for Trade.