SGR demos to resume next Monday in Mombasa, says lobby

Protests against the SGR-only cargo freight will resume in Mombasa on Monday next week.

This is according to the Fast Action Movement – the business community lobby behind weekly demonstrations in Mombasa. The protests  follows a directive by the government in August 2019 requiring cargo arriving at the port to be transported by train to the Nairobi Inland Container Depot.

The planned demonstration on January 6 will bring the number of street protests organised by the Fast Action Movement to 14.   

The movement, which is opposed to the freight order and which works in collaboration with human rights organisations, made the announcement during a meeting on Monday.

Street protests have been suspended to allow monitoring of activities following the December 5 Senate Committee on Roads and Transport ruling that revoked the SGR order. 

Speakers at the meeting, which was attended by three Coast parliamentarians, said that authorities have failed to reverse the order and the only way to keep pressure is to escalate the protests.

“We declare that demonstrations will continue. Our demand is simple; importers should be left to decide on the means of transport for their goods,” Fast Action Movement chairman Salim Karama said.

“Some of the involved parties took an oath before the Senate committee that they will reverse the directive, but we have enough proof that they are still forcing cargo to be ferried by SGR,” he added.

Transport CS James Macharia had pledged before the Senate team to implement the revocation.

In October, the CS had announced the suspension of the cargo freight policy after meeting with Coast political leaders and port stakeholders.

Speaking during Monday’s meeting held in Mombasa, Mvita MP Abdulswammad Nassir said teven after the transport CS took an oath before the senate committee on December 5 importers have been denied freedom of choice to transport their cargo.

“We have evidence in the form of a letter where an importer requested to nominate a transporter and was rejected. This happened after KPA representatives and the Transport CS took an oath before the Senate to revoke the order,” he said.

Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki, who also sat in the Senate committee, said the matter will be revisited in the National Assembly in February when Parliament reconvenes.

“We will take a resolution to the Senate seeking to remove the CS on account of him not being fit to hold public office. This will also apply to other involved parties such as the KRA Commissioner and KPA managing director,” Faki said.

“We cannot as the National Assembly make rulings and then the same is not processed by the government, and that is why we will summon the CS to explain why the ruling we made last time has not been implemented,” he said.