Mombasa county has renewed its battle with the Kenya Ports Authority to control the port and the annual Sh35.6 billion collected at the harbour.
Governor Hassan Joho said the county will sue. The KPA is one of the government’s biggest income earners.
Joho on Friday said Mombasa receives ‘peanuts’ as annual allocations from the national government. It has received Sh14 billion in four years, he said.
On Thursday, Joho said Mombasa’s economy has been sabotaged and residents deprived of resources by the national government. He said KPA proceeds are channeled to the wrong hands.
The battle is expected to flare up when the standard gauge railway is running because it will multiply KPA’s annual revenues, which the county wants to share.
Analysts say there is a 50-50 chance of either party winning the suit.
Joho said, “It’s time to go to court over the revenue share with the port. Let them [KPA] prepare for a battle.”
He said other ports worldwide thrive because they work with the authorities in their cities. “Rotterdam city owns 70 per cent of Rotterdam Port, Shanghai Port is fully owned by the Shanghai municipality, Durban by Durban city, Long Beach [California] Port is 100 per cent owned by Long Beach city and Antwerp is fully owned by the Antwerp city. Why is Mombasa county the exception?” Joho said.
He said the national government fears Mombasa will become wealthy if the port is under its control. “It is just a matter of time before we take over the port,” Joho said. He said KPA’s operations are shrouded in secrecy. Lawyer Yusuf Abubakar yesterday said Mombasa can be granted powers by the High Court to control the port.