Political activist defends KPA boss over controversial tender

A political activist in Kilifi has joined dock workers in defending embattled KPA managing director Captain William Ruto on the controversial Sh8.3 billion tender for a 1.4km road project inside the Mombasa port.

The cost, which translates to roughly Sh6 billion per kilometer, sparked outcry from politicians, critics and other stakeholders.

However, the Dock Workers Union has defended the KPA boss, dismissing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.

The dock workers said anyone with evidence of corruption should present the same to relevant authorities including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Alex Kasuku, a political activist who is eying the Kaloleni MCA seat, on Tuesday said Captain Ruto is under attack because he has refused to dance to the tune of cartels.

“These cartels find it difficult to get their way at the Mombasa port because the MD has refused to play ball. That is why suddenly you hear one dubious allegation after another,” Kasuku said.

He spoke at a funeral in Kaloleni ward, Kaloleni constituency on Tuesday.

He said Captain Ruto is unfairly being victimised because certain known businessmen with questionable past are not getting the tenders they have been getting all along.

“They are now fighting back. If you do not have information, just go to the Mombasa port and inquire. You will be given all the information you want transparently. Do not take the street information and run with it as the gospel truth,” Kasuku said.

He claimed that some port workers who are not used to the strictness that the management is implementing are the ones feeding wrong information to critics because they want the old regimes that used to allow laziness.

“They were used to going to work at 9am or 10am to be seen, then walkout and do their private businesses until 3pm when they return to sign out. They were stealing public time while being paid for it. That is no longer the case. Now they want to soil the image of this strict management,” Kasuku said.

He said the good thing about Captain Ruto is that he has been at the Mombasa port long enough and witnessed all the tricks the port workers used to do before he rose through the ranks.

That is why he has been able to seal the loopholes that the workers used against the Mombasa port, Kasuku said.

On recruitment claims, Kasuku said the port boss does not employ.

“Captain only does a request to the ministry and the ministry employs. The ministry sends its people to do the verification of the applications, conduct the interviews and recommend the qualified applicants for recruitment,” the Kaloleni MCA aspirant said.

He said the allegations that Captain Ruto has employed only people from the Rift Valley is both farfetched and an insult to the integrity of the man who has turned around the Mombasa port, which is now breaking record after record of performance.

“We the Coast people who live at the Coast know what it means to have the Mombasa and the Lamu ports generate massive profits. We are the ones who know where the shoe pinches,” he said.

Paul Abisa, a DWU member, said there are government agencies that have the capacity and mandate to investigate any allegations brought to them.

“Let those who feel that things are not working as they should go to these agencies and report. Take to them evidence so that investigations can be done. This public trial does not help anyone or anything,” Abisa said.

He said what is happening at the port is incitement by politicians seeking higher offices.

He said the politicians like using tribal sentiments so as to be seen as fighting for the welfare of their community members, a dangerous trend that should be probed by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

David Mali, another DWU member, said politicians are taking advantage of the ignorance of some people to spread falsehoods from which they benefit.