- Ruto said there should be a seamless relationship between the national and county governments so the people of Mombasa benefit from it.
- The President directed the Mombasa port to work with Mombasa county government.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
President William Ruto has said the national government will work closely with the county government of Mombasa especially on issues that touch on the port.
Ruto said there should be a seamless relationship between the national and county governments so the people of Mombasa benefit from it.
The President directed the Mombasa port to work with Mombasa county government.
“Abdulswamad here has been on my case on how we can create a bridge between the port and the county government of Mombasa, and I agree,” Ruto said on Saturday.
Earlier, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir had complained of not being involved in matters that touch on development of key infrastructure in the county.
He said urban planning is a function of the county government and his administration has planned to build a marshalling yard to decongest the CBD.
He is also planning to set up a bus terminal for the same reason.
However, he said the national government is planning a rail station from the Mombasa SGR terminus to the CBD without his involvement.
“But if a rail line, Waziri, is going to pass and you as a governor do not know where that rail is going to pass, how it is going to pass, how are we going to be able to work together?” Governor Nassir said.
He said such a situation would lead to an unnecessary competition instead of working together.
“We are not here to compete. We are here to complement each other. It is our role to do this together,” he said.
President Ruto revealed plans to build a train station in the CBD that will eliminate the need to travel to Miritini to board the SGR.
He said in the next four months, Mombasa residents will no longer travel to Miritini to board the SGR but will access the SGR from the new train station in the CBD.
The president said the station will be built with the support of the county government.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said the project is already ongoing on Kenya Railways land.
He apologised to Governor Nassir for not involving him in the matter.
“Governor, we are sorry. Perhaps we didn’t spend a lot of time to consult on that but as a matter of fact, it is just that KR were developing their own property,” Murkomen said.
He then requested Nassir to give a small piece of land belong to the county to the KR for the project so as to make it a joint project.
“We’ve been working together so closely so that this can be finished,” the CS said.
President Ruto issued a directive that no transnational company be allowed to clear goods at the Mombasa port, and that such services should be done by local Kenyans.
“The Mombasa Governor raised an issue. We should make sure that we eliminate unnecessary competition between shipping lines and all other local people working in clearing and other small facilities,” he said.