• Denmark,France,Japan and UK say the process lack transparency.
• Calls for transparent bidding to pick private operator of the sh 27 billion terminal.
Britain, France, Denmark and Japan have protested the privatisation of the second container terminal at the port of Mombasa, saying the process is designed in favour of one company.
The countries, through their ambassadors, have written to the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport, saying the process is not transparent.
They want the privatisation of the Sh27 billion terminal to be subjected to competitive bidding.
“We deeply regret the lack of transparency in the ongoing process, aiming at granting the operation of the CT2 to a single operator without any competition," the ambassadors said.
They said the terminal is the most modern facility of the port of Mombasa and that international operators would appreciate to be invited to compete for through an open and transparent bidding process.
The letter, dated June 4, was signed by Mette Knudsen (Denmark), Aline Kuster (France), Yoshihiro Katyama (Japan) and Nic Hailey of Britain).
The Transport ministry has proposed amendments to allow Kenya National Shipping Line and a private Italian company, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, to run the container terminal which includes berths 20 and 21.
The government wants to amend Section 16 of Merchant Shipping Act, 2009, which currently bars shipping lines from operating seaports.
The amendments are contained in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendment) Bill, 2019.
If approved, the act will give the Transport Cabinet Secretary powers to exempt a government entity or enterprise from adhering to provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act.
The ambassadors said the terminal was financed by the government of Japan and was to be operated by a private entity identified through a competitive process.
They said in 2014, an international tender was advertised and which attracted many internationally recognised bidders only to be cancelled by the government in 2016 before the selection process ended.
"We would like to express our strong concern over the described situation arising from the proposed plan and to request that a transparent selection process be carried out to entrust management of the CT2 to an international operator through open and transparent bidding processes," the letter reads.
Coast leadership is split on the matter. Some MPs and Dock Workers Union have opposed the government's move.
Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita), Paul Katana (Kaloleni), Banjamin Tayari (Kinango), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Mishi Mboko (Likoni) and Teddy Mwambire (Ganze) opposed the privatisation plan.
edited by peter obuya