This archive report was first published on 13 October 2021.
October 13, 2021
Traders and transporters in Mombasa are up in arms over a government decision to reintroduce mandatory cargo delivery via the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Mombasa port.
The Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) and other stakeholders claim the decision will further paralyse Mombasa's economy, which has already been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to KTA, the directive will affect some 42,000 workers in the sector, with many clearing and forwarding firms in Mombasa having shut down due to the SGR.
"If a trader wants to ferry his or her cargo using SGR or trucks from Mombasa to Malaba, let it be their own decision," said Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, who led the protest.
Mr Nassir warned against politicising the SGR matter, saying the rule to transport cargo through SGR was quashed through the motions he presented in Parliament.
"Don't think we will relent on this matter. We will fight for the rights of our people," he added.
Mombasa trader Mohamed Samatar said the directive will cause massive loss of jobs, while Ms Mishi Mboko, the Likoni MP, said the port city's economy has suffered due to the pandemic.
The lawmakers threatened to take the matter to Parliament once again, after a court suspended a decision quashing the SGR cargo directive.
