Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and legislators from Coast have asked the government to stop plans to privatise the second container terminal, saying the move is detrimental to the economy of the region.
The leaders said plans to hand over management of the container terminal to the Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL) was a scheme to privatise the port of Mombasa through the back door.
Joho, who was addressing more than 500 seamen at the Tononoka social hall in Mombasa yesterday, further claimed there has not been adequate consultation over the proposal for privatisation as required by the Constitution.
He said the government is bypassing public participation and wanted to privatise the terminal by introducing amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act.
Joho said Mediterranean Shipping Company, which has shares in KNSL, was allegedly being duped into the deal by alleged corrupt State officials and asked the owners to exercise caution.
The government has introduced proposals to amend the Merchant Shipping Act in Parliament to allow the Transport Cabinet secretary to decide who runs CT2, the code name for the second container terminal at the port.
