The row pitting truckers, Coast leaders, and cargo clearance entities against the Transport ministry over an SGR cargo order is headed back to Parliament.
An MP has written to Speaker Justin Muturi seeking summonses to Transport CS James Macharia to shed light on the matter.
Mvita lawmaker Abdulswamad Nassir holds that the directive amounts to economic sabotage against not only the Coast region but also the livelihoods supported by the Mombasa port.
The MP further wants CS Macharia reprimanded for reneging on a resolution of a House committee – which he was part – that the use of SGR be optional.
This was after the government said all cargo be hauled via the railway to Nairobi Inland Container Depot. The directive was reversed following protests by key players.
But on May 21, CS Macharia gave fresh orders that effective Monday, all cargo destined for Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan will be transported through the SGR for clearance at the Naivasha ICD.
The CS stated that the mandatory measure would also facilitate the containment of Covid-19, for which truck drivers are a weak link.
But Nassir said they will not allow the ministry to implement this, adding that they are mulling enacting a law barring the minister from issuing such directives.
“We are going to make sure that the situation is now sealed in the law. We will look at the existing Acts in order to come up with a legislation that will deal with this,” the MP said on Saturday.
He added that it was unconstitutional for the government to force transporters to use SGR further warning it would exacerbate trader’s challenges in towns along the Mombasa-Uganda transit route.
“It is sad that the Transport ministry is ending livelihoods yet the Treasury recently released a report that many Kenyans are out of jobs,” Nassir lamented.
“If you consider the number of people employed to handle logistics of running a port, then you realise that this is going to kill our people. It is something that a country should not do,” the MP added.
He said life is bound to get worse for the locals – beyond the effects of Covid-19, considering that the State bulldozed its way to privatise the second container terminal.
In the referred House proceedings, CS Macharia said the transport business has no issue in terms of losing business because of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
“This may upset some people, but the bottom line is that some people want to take us into Container Freight Stations (CFSs). I can confirm to you that we shall never go back there. Let that be made clear,” the CS said.
And in what appears that the State is not changing its mind on the matter soon, the CS has written to Uganda insisting that they use the facility.
Ugandan minister for Transport Edward Katumba had written to Kenya saying that it is their considered opinion that “the use of Naivasha ICD should remain optional.”
The official said SGR should instead be made attractive so that big logistics players can seize of the economies of scale for better returns to the government.
But the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) says it is ready to commence operations at the KRA office at the Naivasha ICD.
“It is now operational with a marshalling area having the capacity to hold 700 trucks at any given time. The customs offices have equally been deployed with relevant skilled staff,” the taxman said.
“KRA is well equipped to handle the huge capacity expected from Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi at the facility”
It argued that the facility is a one-stop-shop where all key government agencies offer their services to clients.
Regional revenue authorities including Uganda Revenue Authority, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Tanzania Revenue Authority and Burundi Revenue Authority are also housed at the centre.