Leaders make dry port campaign agenda to win over the electorate

The Sh6.9 billion Mai Mahiu Inland Container Depot in Nakuru County is turning out to be one of the top campaign agendas in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya are using the dry port as bait to win votes in Coast and Central Rift regions.

The project that was commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta last November is now on the lips of the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio flagbearers, with each side giving suggestions on how it will handle it if elected.

Although the funding of the project was approved in September 2021 by the Cabinet in which Deputy President William Ruto sat, he is now accusing some individuals in the government of mishandling the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the dry port.

And as the clock ticks toward the elections, Ruto has distanced himself from the decision to have port services relocated from Mombasa County to upcountry.

The project is already up and running, with an inland container depot fully operational, railways marshalling yard, logistic zone and public utility space in place.

Before changing tune, Ruto had praised the project, saying it would be key in having other core enabling infrastructure to support the development of the Special Economic Zones.

But when he welcomed the Pamoja African Alliance (PAA) party to his alliance, Ruto promised to undertake administrative and legal steps to revert some aspects of the project should he win the August 9 polls. 

His remarks were followed immediately by others he made at the William ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok County where he promised to, if elected president, ensure 1,000 acres of Kedong Ranch that is part of the dry port, are reverted to the Maasai community.

Ruto’s promises have received the backing of some leaders from Mombasa who support the return of port operations to the Coast.

UDA Mombasa senatorial candidate Hassan Omar and Nyali MP Mohammed Ali have been at the forefront in pushing for the return of the port operations to the Coast.

They have dismissed Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga, President Kenyatta and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho for being insensitive to the plight of the Coast people.

They say Azimio has no intention of addressing the port issue since they were beneficiaries.

Although Raila has on several occasions also promised to address the issue, if elected, Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza brigade say Azimio has no proper plan to do so and was only offering lip service.

They cite the failure of the Jubilee government to reveal or publish the content of the SGR contract between the Kenya and Chinese governments as a clear indication that they will do nothing about the port operations.

“DP Ruto has an agreement with PAA and leaders from the Coast, promising them that if he wins, he will within the first 90 days issue an Executive order to return the port’s services to the Coast,” said Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, during one of the recent campaign rallies.

In his recent campaign trail at the Coast, Ruto acknowledged that the administrative decisions that relocated the core functions of the port of Mombasa to the dry ports in Nairobi and Mai Mahui crippled the Coast economy.

He observed that the clearing and forwarding agencies and truckers were relocated upcountry, denying many people at the Coast, who depended on it, their daily income.

“It was never the intention of the Jubilee government to build the SGR to impoverish the Coast. Our goal was to make the port much more efficient, and better and improve fortunes of the people.”

“Unfortunately, a few people took SGR hostage and ended up with programmes that benefit a few people to the detriment of the Coast community,” the DP was quoted saying to a section of the media.

His remarks have sparked outrage from Azimio leaders, especially those from Nakuru County, who termed them as economic sabotage.

During a recent campaign rally in Naivasha to drum up support for Raila’s presidential bid, the team led by Martha Karua, the Azimio running mate, said the dry port was there to stay.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, who accompanied Karua, vowed that the dry port would not be closed down if the coalition wins.

He lashed out at the Kenya Kwanza team, noting its leaders had ruined the country through graft.

“We want to assure the residents of Nakuru county that the dry port will not be closed down as planned by the Kenya Kwanza team,” he said.

Munya revisited the issue of several dams that had stalled in Rift Valley after funds set aside for their construction were allegedly stolen.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, who hosted the Azimio team, termed the threats by the Ruto team as an indication of the contempt with which some national leaders had for the county.        

“We are shocked by utterances attributed to some leaders promising that the Naivasha Dry Port and railway will be terminated should their coalition win,” he said.

Kinyanjui, who is seeking a second term as the governor, noted that the SGR has room for investment opportunities as firms seek to reap from the economic zone.

Former Chief Administrative Secretary of Trade Lawrence Karanja termed as evil the plan to close and relocate the Naivasha Dry port.

Mr Karanja, who is seeking the senatorial seat in Nakuru, called on residents to reject the move through the ballot come August 9.

“Some leaders are using the closure of the dry port in Naivasha to seek votes from Coast voters and we should reject this,” he said.

Since 2018, importers based in the capital and upcountry have been collecting their cargo from the Embakasi ICD, where it is delivered by rail from the port.