MCAs tell Mungatana off, demand KPA

By Ngumbao Kithi

Mombasa, Kenya: Mombasa County Assembly has joined demands to have the Kenya Ferries and Harbours devolved to the county government.

In a Press statement read by Tononoka MCA Saad Faraj Ahmed and signed by most MCAs, they claimed it was an undisputed fact that the port of Mombasa was an important asset for Kenya and Mombasa County.

The MCAs said the port has never benefited the local people despite being located in the area.

Leading the 22 MCAs in the committee room, Mr Faraj said the rights of the people of Mombasa to the resource was enshrined in the Constitution under Schedule 4, Part 2, which expressly gives the Mombasa County government the mandate to manage the county’s transport systems, including the ferries and harbours, so Kenya Ports Authority was not an exemption.

Sad remarks

Faraj said the MCAs in Mombasa were saddened by the remarks attributed to KPA chairman Danson Mungatana on Tuesday in which the former Garsen MP disputed the county’s demand to manage the port and KPA institution.

He said Mr Mungatana’s notion negates the spirit of devolution that gives local people the mandate to manage their own resources.

“The Mombasa MCAs support the county leadership in its recent remarks regarding the proposed takeover of KPA and would, if necessary, create the legislative framework to facilitate such a bid,” the MCAs said.

Revenue collected

The MCAs have challenged Mungatana to state what the institution has done in the last four years for the people of Mombasa despite earning a whopping Sh94 billion over the period.

He said the MCAs would like to assure the people of Mombasa that once the port was under management by the county government, they would stand to benefit from revenue generated.