Plan to sack port of Mombasa workers opposed

By MOSES NJAGIH and PATRICK BEJA

Mombasa, Kenya: Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau has said the Government may sack about 7,000 workers at the port of Mombasa.

But in response, Dock Workers Union (DWU) threatened to call for a strike if the Government goes ahead with the plan.

Kamau told the Senate Committee on Energy that for the port to be profitable, it might have to declare a huge number of staff redundant.

The Cabinet Secretary said a recent visit to the port unearthed many ills facing the institution, which the Government had started addressing to enhance efficiency.

The DWU chairman Jeffer Kiti and secretary general Simon Sang yesterday demanded apology from Mr Kamau.

“We want the Cabinet Secretary to apologise to the union within seven days or we will withdraw labour both at the port and Kenya ferry,” Sang warned at a press conference in Mombasa. The workers’ leaders claimed Kamau had been misled over the claim of a bloated workforce serving at the port.

Mr Sang instead said Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has a shortage of 500 workers. He claimed the conventional cargo area requires 355 workers while there was shortage of 120 terminal tractor drivers and 25 verification dockers.

“We urge the Cabinet Secretary to embrace dialogue with the union to understand the problems of the port,” Kiti said. The Cabinet Secretary noted they had placed the port under a single command to make employees more accountable and efficient.

He added that Government intervention has led to detection of illegal products like ivory and drugs transiting through the port.

Competitiveness

“How come before we went to the port there was nobody being arrested? All of a sudden, there are people being arrested with ivory and drugs.”

He said the port used to operate without any central command.

“The Customs people used to come at their own time. Kenya Bureau of Standards inspectors also came at their own time. Now, technically everyone is answerable to their bosses; but they are administratively answer to the managing director,” said Kamau.

Kamau hinted that the Government may privatise the port, a move that has been greatly opposed by locals, if it is to be competitive in its operations. He said Kenya was lucky that Tanzania was not aggressive in giving Mombasa port competition.

“Mombasa port would have died a long time ago if Tanzania was more aggressive, but they care about us it seems,” said Kamau.

He said the Government will also place Jomo Kenyatta International Airport under a central command to increase efficiency and eradicate cartels that hamper operations.