Coast MPs to hold anti-SGR demos – Weekly Citizen

A MP from Coast has said he is ready to mobilise his colleagues to hold a demonstration against the use of the standard gauge railway freight service to transport cargo and containers from the Mombasa Port to the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi.

Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani said he will mobilise a protest outside the Kenya Ports Authority’s main entrance to bring operations at the port of Mombasa to standstill.

He said they are against the monopoly of the SGR to transport cargo after being off loaded at port of Mombasa.

“We have exhausted all avenues but the government has turned a deaf ear to all of them and that is why we have resolved to hold protests outside the gate of the port of Mombasa,” he pointed out.

Mwashetani said they have engaged in meetings with both the parliamentary and senate committees on transport but nothing has been forthcoming.

Mwashetani

He spoke during stop SGR monopolisation forum held at Ujamaa Social Hall in Mvita constituency.

The legislator said the option is take the protesters into the port of Mombasa to make them understand their concerns.

Mwashetani said they have tried to push the issue at the national assembly for the government to reverse the directive but it was an exercise in futility.

He said he is ready to be counted as one of the leaders who oppose the monopoly by the SGR freight service and he has joined the bandwagon.

“The problem of the SGR monopoly is not a county issue but concerns the entire coast region and I warn the government we won’t rest until we succeed,” he said.

In his opening remarks Fast Action Business Community Movement chairman Salim Karama urged elected leaders from the region to put their political affiliations aside to enable all of them to achieve the goals that are on focus.

He reminded the forum the elephant in the room is the impact the government move will have if all goods and cargo from the port of Mombasa are transported through the SGR freight service to the Nairobi ICD

“The move has reduced the county into a ghost town with reduced business and employment opportunities in the region,” he pointed out.

Karama said the movement is concerned by the monopoly from the government directive of using the freight service in moving cargo from the port of Mombasa to Nairobi.

He pointed out the issue is still a big challenge despite efforts made to create awareness through holding weekly protests.

On his part, Haki Africa officer Mathias Shipeta urged leaders to keep the 2022 succession political battle aside and called for unity to be able to succeed in their quest.

He said the 2022 debate will come when they cross the bridge and urged elected leaders to dedicate their energy to tackling the elephant in the house.

“The elephant in the house is to ensure we succeed to make the government reverse its decision on the use of the freight service,” he pointed out.