By Willis Oketch

Trucks stranded at Mombasa port following a technical hitch in the Kenya Revenue Authority ICT system breakdown have started being cleared.

The system, which broke down on Wednesday, and cost the Government billions of shillings as revenue, started up after causing untold losses to importers.

Most of the trucks, some of which were stuck in the port for three days, had started leaving the facility after documents were processed.

On Thursday, Kenya Ports Authority Chief Operation Manager Engineer Joseph Atonga said the problem had been going on from last week until Wednesday, when the system crashed.

Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Michael Waweru promised that the breakdown would be addressed.

Advanced system

Uganda businessmen representative, William Kidima, said they were now happy the company was upgrading it, and said they hope the advanced system will be able to address the volume of work at the port.

"We hope the system will not break down as it is a major concern among Uganda businessmen who use the port," said Kidima.

Meanwhile, members of Kenya International Forwarding Associating (Kifwa) have protested over the introduction of verification charges at the port of Mombasa.

The Association’s chairman, Awiti Bolo, said the levy was introduced without consultation.

"We want the levy withdrawn until there is consultation between Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority and Kifwa," said Awiti.

He complained that the payment of Sh5,600 for verifying a 20-foot container and Sh8,000 for a 40-foot container was not fair, and warned that the cost would be passed on to the consumers.

Mobile weighbridge

He also raised issue with the introduction of a mobile weighbridge at the port. He pointed out that the organisation had received complaints from importers that their goods could not be moved out of the port in time.

"We are not opposed to the introduction of the machine in the port, but what we want is to ensure the weighing is done faster as opposed to now when it is very slow," he said.

He denied claims the trucks were not moving out of the port because they feared being caught at the weighbridge.

Roads Minister Franklin Bett on Wednesday complained that the truck drivers had refused to drive out of the port after mobile weighbridge was mounted at Kipevu KPA gate.