File image of President William Ruto
President William Ruto has maintained that the Kenya Kwanza government has no intention of privatising Mombasa Port.
Speaking on Friday During the UDA Party NGC meeting at the Bomas of Kenya, Ruto said that the government would work with the private sector on a concession process to increase efficiency and investment in the port.
“Privatization of the Mombasa Port will not happen when we are in government, I said that when I assumed office, Port operations would be returned to Mombasa from Nairobi and we did that,” he said.
“I want to assure you that we shall expand it to create job opportunities because it has the ability to serve South Sudan, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. We are going to work with the private sector in that process but the port will not be privatized, I want everybody to understand that.”
President William Ruto
His remarks come after Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Nassir opposed plans to privatize the Port.
Nassir said that Mombasa residents will not benefit after privatisation.
“Hatuwezi kubebwa kifalafala na Bandari. Ni Lazima tujue feasibility gani iliyofanywa kuonyesha hii Bandari ya kuwa leo wanataka kuibinafsisha. Kwa nini wasiende kubinafsisha Kenya Airways ili ndege Nyingine ziweze kuingia hapa Mombasa,” Abdulswamad said.
Kenya Ports Authority board chairman Benjamin Tayari stated on September 25 that the national government has no plans to privatise crucial assets at the Mombasa and Lamu ports.
The facilities that KPA proposes to place under private enterprises are four berths (11-14) at Mombasa Port and the Mombasa Port Container Terminal 1.
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