The Dock Workers Union will next week join street protests against compulsory cargo haulage via the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Nairobi’s Inland Container Depot.
“We are teaming up with the Mombasa business community and the rights organisation to protest against this government directive,” DWU secretary-general Simon Sang told reporters on Friday.
The demonstrations are organised by truckers and rights groups under the umbrella First Action Business Community.
The Kenya Transporters Association, Kenya Long Distance Drivers Union, Muslims for Human Rights, Haki Africa and Container Freight Stations employees have vowed to continue with weekly protesst until the government revises the SGR directive.
Their two-hour protest on Monday paralysed transport along 4.4km Makupa Causeway from the Makupa roundabout to Changamwe roundabout.
Next Monday, they will walk from the Elephant Tusk on Moi Avenue to Uhuru na Kazi building, which houses the Coast regional headquarters and Mombasa County Commissioner’s office.
Sang said they are not against the Sh327 billion SGR project, but the government should first ensure that the coast region is economically stable before demanding that all cargo be ferried on the SGR freight trains.
He said the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone should be developed into industrial parks to compensate for the loss of jobs if the CFSs and truckers are kicked out of business by the SGR.
“I have told the leadership of this country that we should not allow over 30 per cent of cargo to be loaded on SGR because the economy of the Coast will be adversely affected,” Sang said.
“Our appeal is that SGR should be allowed to take more than 30 per cent after the Dongo Kundu industrial park has been put in place so that whatever impact the SGR will have, will be replaced by businesses and jobs that will have been created by the industrial park.”
The DWU has a membership of 5,500, but not all them support Sang. A good number supports chairperson Mohammed Sheria in his pro-government stance.
Sang says his differences with the chairman are instigated by outsiders hell-bent to see the port of Mombasa privatised.
“We have known their game plan and whatever they want will never happen,” he said.
