By PATRICK BEJA
Preparations for swearing-in of governors in Coast are complete ahead the ceremony expected to kick off at 9am today.
This follows the swearing-in of county representatives and election of the County Assembly Speakers last week.
Organisers of the event said security had been beefed up in the region to avert any criminal attacks especially from gangs associated with Mombasa Republican Council.
Yesterday Mombasa interim County Assembly Clerk Tubmun Otieno said the governor-elect Hassan Ali Joho will be sworn-in at the Jomo Kenyatta Agricultural Show ground in Mombasa.
“Everything is set for the swearing-in ceremony. It will take place between 9am and 2pm,” Mr Otieno said.
In Kwale, governor-elect Salim Mgala Mvurya will take the oath of office at the Baraza park in the town.
“Preparations of the ceremony are complete. We expect elected leaders and residents to attend,” said Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki yesterday.
Taita Taveta governor-elect John Mruttu will be sworn-in in Mwatate while the Kilifi governor-elect Amason Kingi will take oath of office in the town.
Tana River governor-elect Hussein Tuneya Dado will be sworn-in in Hola while his Lamu counterpart Issa Timamy at the Mkunguni square.
Except for Lamu where the governor belongs to United Democratic Forum under the Amani coalition, other Coast governors are from CORD. All six governors at the Coast promised to address poor education standards.
Mr Joho has indicated his first days in office would focus on cleaning the city and fighting drug lords. It is estimated that Mombasa County hosts more than 20,000 drug addicts.
Muslim for Human Rights (Muhuri) Executive Director Hussein Khalid pointed out that road, electricity, water, sanitation and infrastructure should fixed by the county government urgently to boost the Mombasa County’s economy.
He said the county government should push for an alternative fixed route to south coast to decongest the Likoni ferry and parts of the city.
“Mombasa city came up with a proper plan way back in 1954 and there is need for the county government to develop a new one,” Khalid said.
He said there is need to address security, build roads, ease traffic jams and install traffic lights to transform Mombasa into a 24-hour economy.
“A survey carried out by Muhuri has revealed that Sh3 million is lost daily through traffic jams and hence the need to address the problem,” Khalid says.
Ms Millicent Odhiambo, programmes officer of the Coast Residents’ and Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association, urged the Government to fast track construction of the southern by-pass at Dongo Kundu to provide an alternative route to the Likoni ferry and decongest traffic in Mombasa.
The Likoni ferries serve over 200,000 passengers and 7,000 vehicles daily and are a lifeline for south coast residents and investors.
She also called for expansion of Moi International Airport road, construction of a modern sewerage system and water pipelines and sprucing up of all markets in Mombasa.
Mombasa lacks a proper sewerage system and the water pipelines serving the city can only pump about 40 per cent of the required water as they are old.
“We also need conference facilities which can accommodate upto 5000 people to promote conference tourism. We need to market Mombasa county as a destination of choice for tourists and integrate culture to benefit the local people,” she says.
