- The governor added that all leaders in Mombasa are united to speak against the move.
- Nassir has been on an aggressive advocacy campaign opposing the Port privatization.
Image: FILE
Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir has maintained that the government will not privatise the port of Mombasa.
Speaking on Monday during the groundbreaking of the Mombasa County Aggregated Industrial Park in Miritini, Jomvu, Nassir said that Mombasa residents will not benefit after privatisation.
"We are not opposed to development, but we speak on behalf of millions of residents who may not be able to speak for themselves. We ask what is in it for the people of Mombasa in the privatization of their Port?" He said.
The governor added that all leaders in Mombasa are united to speak against the move.
He said that they are not opposed to growth and development but they will not be part of a conversation where Mombasa residents have been sidelined.
Nassir has been on an aggressive advocacy campaign opposing the Port privatization recently advertised by the Kenya Ports Authority citing lack of consultation and due process.
The governor warned that privatisation of the port will lead to the loss of job opportunities for local youths.
"We have not seen any feasibility study that has informed this decision. Nor has any of the leadership of Mombasa been consulted on how this shall affect our residents including issues to do with job losses and closure of locally owned businesses," he said.
Present during the event was trade CS Moses Kuria, Deputy Governor of Mombasa Francis Thoya and Bady Twalib (MP, Jomvu) among other leaders.
However, on September 25, Kenya Ports Authority board chairman Benjamin Tayari clarified that the national government has no plans to privatise critical facilities at the ports of Mombasa and Lamu.
The facilities that KPA intends to place under private firms are four berths (11-14) at the port of Mombasa and the Mombasa Port Container Terminal 1.
At Lamu port, KPA will hand over the three container terminals at berths 1-3 and the Lamu Special Economic Zone.
"The stories you’ve been reading in the newspapers and the media about privatisation of the port are not true. One thing that I want to say and confirm is that KPA is not doing any privatisation," Tayari said.
"What we are doing is something called concession. There's a very big difference between the privatisation and concession."