The Dock Workers’ Union is pushing the government to build the Mariakani Dry Port in Mombasa, hoping it will end the bitter feud pitting President Uhuru Kenyatta against Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.

The proposal, seen as a game changer, comes against a backdrop of stiff opposition facing the proposed Naivasha dry port. The government promised it will set up another dry port in Voi.

If the deal, being pushed by DWU secretary general Simon Sang sails through, 6,000 jobs will be created. The project will also boost the Mombasa economy.

Sang said with the increase of cargo docking at the Kenya Ports Authority, consignments will not take more than 24 hours at the port.

“Mariakani will act as an extension of the port storage,” he said on Tuesday, during an interview at the Star offices, Mombasa.

Sang said the facility will be an export consolidation facility, a pier-to-pier container breaking point, Customs warehouse storage centre, and sorting area into transit.

“When this is done, then the Port of Mombasa will be utilised mostly for ship operation and transshipment storage as well as for storage of empty containers for repatriation,” he said.

High-level meetings with Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto have been scheduled to push the deal through. Sang has Ruto’s ear. He successfully pushed for the review of the scheme of service at the KPA through Ruto.

The secretary general said with more than 100 companies having expressed interest in taking part in a planned special economic zone in Mombasa, the Mariakani extension will play a key role as break bulk area.

“The Mariakani dry port will enable KPA to handle up to two million containers without the need to expand the Mombasa port,” he said.

Sang said Mombasa will be decongested drastically. “Socially, the extension of the port to Mariakani will create up to 2,000 decent jobs for the local community directly, and up to 4,000 indirectly to the surrounding population,” he said.

Sang said since the port is state-owned and has a capacity to borrow substantially, high standard godowns will be built and leased to the Kenya Revenue Authority, private maritime, and other related organisations.

After Mariakani, Sang said the next dry port should be built in Malaba. “We need all cargo for Kisumu and Eldoret be railed to Malaba Mega Depot, then transported back to Kisumu and Eldoret,” he said.

Source: The Star

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