Naivasha dry port will spur growth, not kill business in Mombasa

One of the issues raised by National Super Alliance (NASA) flag bearer Raila Odinga is whether the setting-up of the Naivasha dry port will kill the Mombasa Port and the county’s economy. Raila, while speaking at a campaign rally in Kwale County, was emphatic that the proposed Naivasha dry port will result in the death of the port of Mombasa since, through the Standard Gauge Railway, all the containers will be transported to Naivasha using the railway.

His sentiments were echoed by Mombasa Governor  Hassan Joho who has repeatedly stated that many people will be left jobless in Mombasa as major services like clearing and forwarding will be done in Naivasha at the expense of the coastal people. The question that arises is: What is a dry port? A dry port, which is sometimes called inland port, is an inland inter-modal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport and operating as a centre for the transhipment of sea cargo to inland destinations.