Naivasha port will hurt Busia, Malaba towns, leaders say

PUBLISHED ON April 15th, 2019

Naivasha port will hurt Busia, Malaba towns, leaders say

A section of leaders from Busia County have urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to rescind his decision to allow Uganda to build a dry port in Naivasha, saying it will render Busia and Malaba ghost towns.

Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua Friday said that transferring crucial inland port services to Naivasha will hurt the economy of the border county.

She said the move defeats the government’s efforts to create jobs for the youth, adding that the region lacks industrial parks that can help grow the economy and open up employment opportunities.

MALABA

“Busia desperately needs this dry port built in Malaba owing to the fact that the town has a geographical advantage over Naivasha. Malaba’s proximity to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan offers the country the best opportunity to turn Busia into a transit hub,” she said.

Mrs Mutua said building the port in Naivasha will render clearing agents at the Busia and Malaba crossings jobless. The two border crossings were rehabilitated by Trade Mark East Africa at a cost of Sh1.2 billion.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.