Governor Joho markets Mombasa in United States

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has been traversing the United States, marketing the coastal city as a tourist destination and a model city.

The governor is on a week-long tour of the US and has met different state officials from the Department of Homeland Security and that of State Department.

“The governor shared with them ‘The Mombasa Story’, the county’s story and legacy as a destination that for over centuries has been an example of a gateway city that has embraced its diversity as its strength,” a statement from the governor’s team said.

This was during a roundtable meeting with a multi-agency team convened by Nabeela Barbari, a senior adviser in the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The meeting was also attended by Erin Wilson from the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force of the White House, Marlene Sallo from the Department of Justice and Michael Duffin from the State Department.

“He explained to the meeting how Mombasa is truly a destination that has people drawn from every nation, religion, tongue and tribe showcasing the ability to enable the spirit of liberty that facilitates diligent and strong citizenship,” the statement said.

Mr Joho and his team said they had arrived at frameworks they said would launch the Strong Cities Network (SCN) in Mombasa as a model for other the African cities.

Mombasa was last year selected to join the SCN, a global network of mayors, municipal-level policy makers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism.

Mr Joho also met Eric Whitaker, the deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs in the State Department.