Investments, Trade, and Industry CS Salim Mvurya has directed Kenya Ports Authority to expedite the resettlement and compensation of 1,648 persons affected by the Mombasa Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone project.
Mvurya said KPA as the implementing agency should complete the exercise by the end of September this year.
“The authority will also be handling grievances that the Project Affected Persons might have raised. Once concluded, then the land will be ready for development,” he stated.
The CS made the remarks when he chaired a multi-sectoral consultative engagement at KPA headquarters in Mombasa, which brought together leaders from Mombasa and Kwale counties to discuss the progress of the project.
The meeting highlighted the significant milestones achieved by KPA and the Special Economic Zone Authority in developing the area to attract investors.
“We decided to have a meeting to take them through the key milestones but also how to unlock the potential of the SEZ,” noted Mvurya.
To date, 97 investors have expressed interest in establishing their operations in the Special Economic Zone, with 60 per cent of them being local and 40 per cent foreign.
Mvurya also emphasised the importance of holding regular consultative meetings with local leaders to address any emerging issues throughout the implementation process.
“We have noted an information gap between the project stakeholders involved in the process and the grassroots leadership, however, that will have to change,” he asserted.
