This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 15, 2019, the planned opening of the refurbished Kisumu Port was abruptly cancelled hours to the event.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected to lead five other East African presidents in launching the operationalisation of the port, which has been under renovation for the past eight months at a cost of Sh3 billion.
The confusion surrounding the postponement was heightened by social media users who claimed there were plans to disrupt the event due to the ongoing demolitions of nearly 3,000 small and medium businesses.
State House spokesperson Kanze Dena attributed the postponement to the port launch committee, stating that the event was not a State House event and that the President had been out of the country.
However, other sources claimed that the event was postponed due to delays in completing works at the port.
The launch team comprises representatives from the national and county governments, Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Railways Corporation, Kenya Rural Roads Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority, city management, as well as security organs.
