This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On July 7, 2020, the Transport ministry made a crucial decision that has brought relief to the people of the coastal region.
The directive that all cargo from the Port of Mombasa be transported upcountry by the standard gauge railway (SGR) has been rescinded, giving traders a choice on transportation.
This move is a testament to the government's willingness to listen to the concerns of its people and is a welcome reprieve for transporters and residents in the coastal region.
Coast leaders had condemned the directive as a plot to impoverish residents and ruin the local economy, and locals saw it as unfairly targeting them.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia's decision to give traders a choice on transportation is commendable, especially in a country that cherishes the free market economy.
While the SGR has been built with huge loans that need to be serviced, the solution is not such draconian measures.
There are Kenyans who have invested their lifetime earnings or taken out loans to buy trucks and run cargo transport businesses, and it's unfair for their own government to lock them out of their source of livelihood.
With this reprieve, transporters must now make use of the opportunity to enhance efficiency and contribute to growing the economy of the coastal region.
