Activists at Uhuru Gardens in Mombasa on Thursday / BRIAN OTIENO
More activists are
coming out to defend the Mombasa port performance spearheaded by managing
director Captain William Ruto.
The activists on
Thursday said Kenyans must rally behind the port leadership amid stiff
competition from neighbouring ports, which threaten to take away business from
Mombasa and Lamu.
Kaya elder Bege
Abdalla, a member of the Mijikenda community, lauded President William Ruto for
returning port services to Mombasa as his first act as the President and bringing
a hardworking man in Captain William Ruto to lead the Kenya Ports Authority.
He said although the
port was led by members of the Mijikenda community for at least three terms, no
one comes close to Captain Ruto in terms of service and performance.
“Instead, we saw
our own people neglecting us. They did not want anything to do with us,”
Abdalla said.
He called on
President Ruto to disregard the noise surrounding Captain Ruto and extend his
term instead because of his record-breaking performances.
“They are making a
lot of noise because he has sealed loopholes they used to siphon billions of shillings
out of the port,” Abdalla said.
Captain Ruto’s term
ends early next year and there have been calls for his term to be extended for
another three years.
The Kenya Ports
Authority managing director position is a contract of three years, renewable
once.
“They want Captain
Ruto out because there are corrupt people who are no longer benefitting from the
port. The captain has sealed all the loopholes they used,” Abdalla said.
Juma Mwanzuga,
another member of the Mijkenda Kaya elders, said Captain Ruto has demolished
the tribal cocoons that had taken over the Mombasa port.
He said persons
with disability, women and youth are now getting tenders at the port without
having to bend over backwards.
“They now have
equal chances of getting tenders unlike before,” he said.
The activists
said there was a group of tycoons who had joined hands to sponsor a smear
campaign against the KPA boss, whom they want out of their way.
“They were used to
going to the port every evening to collect envelops. That is no longer there
and they are now angry with Captain Ruto,” Mwanzuga said.
Political activist
Mildred Odinga said some tycoons are unhappy with Captain Ruto because he has
dismantled the machine that used to control the holder of the KPA top seat.
Odinga said most of
the former MDs were controlled like puppets but Captain Ruto has refused
to be misused.
“Now the puppeteers
are working hard to have him removed,” Odinga said.
The political
activist said it was curious that there have been no protests from KPA workers,
businessmen or residents against Captain Ruto.
“Why is it that we
only see reports against the captain in only a section of the media? If the captain was not working or performing, Mombasa would be crying right now,” she
said.
The smear campaign
against Captain Ruto, she said, was detrimental to his family who suffer emotionally
whenever they see their father and husband maligned.
“As a woman, I am
happy that women's groups are increasingly getting tenders that they previously
could not,” she said.
Michael Nato, a
youth activist, said the performance of the Mombasa and Lamu ports had significantly
improved since Captain Ruto took over.
“He has expanded the
bracket of suppliers, meaning there are more suppliers and more people are getting
a share of the pie.
