This archive report was first published on 20 August 2019.
Published on August 20, 2019, by Jaidi Kisero, a renowned author and commentator, the article highlights the significance of the Kisumu project in Kenya's regional strategy.
The project, which involves the construction of a new container port in Kisumu, is seen as a means to secure Kenya's hinterland accessibility to the port of Mombasa. This, in turn, will enable the country to dominate seaports, develop waterway links, and build high-quality transport networks of internal terminals.
According to Kisero, the thinking behind the commercial port in Kisumu makes a great deal of sense, as it aligns with Kenya's strategic interests in the region. The author notes that the country's East African Community partners have been stirring Kenya along while jostling for tactical advantage over it in an endless game of economic dominance.
As an example, Kisero cites the Ugandans' decision to route an oil pipeline through Tanzania instead of Kenya, and Kigali's decision to develop a railway link through Dar-es-Salaam port instead of Mombasa. These decisions, according to Kisero, demonstrate the region's competitive nature and the need for Kenya to refine its national interest strategy more sharply when it comes to regional infrastructure projects.
The article also touches on the importance of Mombasa, the largest port in the region, in Kenya's regional strategy. Kisero notes that the completion of a state-of-the-art container terminal in Mombasa two years ago was a significant step towards repositioning the port as the reference port along the Indian Ocean Coast.
However, the article also highlights the challenges faced by informal sector businesses, such as the 'Lwang'ni' market, which was disrupted to give way for the port. Kisero notes that the biggest problem in Kenya is the unwillingness and lack of capacity among leaders to fight the political battles necessary to advance society forward.
