Mombasa Governor today received a report on “the socio-economic impact of the operationalisation of the SGR on Kenya Ports Authority”.
In a tweet on Wednesday, the Mombasa Governor said, “In early 2018, I engaged @uonbi School of Business to carry out a study on the socio-economic impact of the operationalization of the SGR on @Kenya_Ports. Today I hosted Ag. Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaack Mbeche & his team during which time they presented their report to me.
“Research plays a key role in decision making for any forward-thinking institution and we are pleased at the kind of collaborations that we have had with the academia,” Joho added.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho receives the SGR operationalization report from UoN Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaack Mbeche / COURTESY
This comes after private logistics company linked to Joho’s was reported to soon take over a cargo terminal in Nairobi built by public funds in a controversial deal, putting the spotlight on the operations of the multi-billion-shillings SGR.
Sunday Nation reported that Mombasa-based Autoport Freight Terminals Ltd has for months been piling pressure on Kenya Railways Corporation to give it exclusive use of the Nairobi Freight Terminals (NFT), near the SGR terminal in Syokimau. In doing this, it locked out other players who use the new railway cargo services from the site.
“Sources at the Transport ministry indicated that the Joho family company is also keen on acquiring a strip of land between the SGR and the old meter-gauge railway within the same area,” the Sunday Nation said.
In reaction, Nyali MP Mohammed Ali, a fierce critic of Joho, on Monday claimed the county boss and his family are benefitting from the misfortunes of many traders and Mombasa residents, who have lost jobs at the port as a result of the radical implementation of the use of SGR trains by importers.
“I want to tell the DPP and DCI that on Sunday, we read in the newspaper that the port was going to benefit only one family. We want you to take action against Governor Joho’s family.
