This archive report was first published on 23 September 2019.
On Monday, September 23, 2019, Mombasa traders took to the streets to protest a government decision that has left their businesses struggling. The demonstration, which started at Makupa roundabout and ended at Changamwe roundabout in Mombasa west, caused a significant traffic jam between the Island and Mombasa mainland.
Carrying placards with messages castigating Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority officials, and a minister, the demonstrators walked over 10 kilometers as they sang songs against the government. Truck drivers and road construction workers showed their solidarity by honking their horns and cheering the protesters.
MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir and acting Chairman of First Action Community in Mombasa Group Bernard Simiyu addressed the demonstrators, with Nassir emphasizing that Mombasa residents have the right to demonstrate against any decision that infringes on their rights.
Simiyu complained that the monopoly of transporting containers from Mombasa to Nairobi was causing many problems for clearing agents, transporters, and other businesses. He suggested that the government allow Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to transport 50% of the cargo from the port to Nairobi, enabling other businessmen and Mombasa people to have something to depend on.
Long Distance Drivers and Allied Workers Union Secretary Nicholas Mbugua also spoke out against the decision, saying that drivers and transporters should not shy away from moving to Nairobi and Naivasha, as there is no remedy now that the railway line has been built.
Golden Boy Haulers owner Said Nassir expressed his concern about being unable to repay loans for trucks he had bought to expand his business, as there is no cargo to transport from the port to various warehouses and Container Freight Stations in Mombasa.
A study by the University of Nairobi's School of Economics indicates that Mombasa's economy will shrink by 16.1% with 8,111 jobs lost if the SGR evacuates all cargo from the port. The county has already lost Sh17.4 billion and 2,987 jobs equivalent to 8.4% of its annual earnings since the implementation of government policies requiring the mandatory transfer of most import cargo through the Madaraka SGR freight service to Nairobi in 2017.
