This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
On October 25, 2019, a group of truckers in Mombasa, led by Paul Mwangi of Agen Palm Logistics, announced that they had started receiving business from the Port of Mombasa and were hauling containers to upcountry destinations after the government rescinded its earlier decision to compel importers to use the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Speaking in Mombasa, Mwangi stated, 'We are getting business. We should never be lumped up together with civil society activists in the name of agitating for our rights. Cabinet Secretary James Macharia's instructions have started being implemented, and we do not see the need to engage the government in street protests.'
Another Mombasa trader, Peter Gishamba, called for closer scrutiny by security agencies on the activities of civil societies that have remained in the forefront in organizing and planning street protests. He emphasized the importance of embracing dialogue and avoiding confrontation.
A section of Coast politicians, scholars, and activists want the flow of cargo controlled by market forces, arguing that the decree on SGR haulage has shrunk Mombasa's economy by 12 per cent and wrecked the transport and logistics sectors, leading to job losses.
MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir stated, 'The monopoly order had no legal basis. The government must admit it was an illegality and it was now being rectified instead of just saying the order has been suspended.'
