This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
July 12, 2019 - The National Assembly Trade and Industry committee, led by Chairman Kanini Kega, has expressed concern over the slow clearance of cargo at container freight stations in Mombasa.
During a tour at the Focus Container Freight Station in Changamwe, Mombasa County, Kanini Kega emphasized the need for shipping agencies and container freight stations to fast-track the clearance of detained cargo, as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Despite the President's directive on May 27, only 27 out of 449 containers held at various container freight stations in Mombasa since August 2018 have been released.
The committee members, accompanied by customs officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards, challenged private-owned firms to introduce a minimal fee to facilitate the fast-tracking of clearance for detained cargo that have already been cleared by state agencies.
Kenya Revenue Authority Chief Operations Manager Abdi Malik urged those who have detained containers to come forward and claim them, as most of the goods held at the container freight stations have been cleared by state agencies.
The committee chairman, Kanini Kega, reiterated that the issue should be resolved within the next two weeks, allowing traders to conduct business without hindrance.
