For the ODM candidate, who is seeking to elevate his politics beyond Mvita constituency, which he has represented for two terms, the menace, coupled with unemployment remains the bane to cohesion in the coastal town.
The lawmaker says the problem of drug addiction and an increasing number of violent criminal gangs terrorising residents has a direct nexus with youth unemployment and poverty.
An extremely low transition rate from primary to secondary school, he says, has bred a crop of youths that is a fertile ground for recruitment by extremists, criminal gangs and drug peddlers.
In this respect, he says the incoming county government, should he win the August 9 vote, would ramp up programmes to tackle the problem head-on.
As a priority, the county intends to build rehab centres and have them adequately staffed to help reintegrate the youth back into society.
“To eliminate the risk that these social ills pose for our youth, we must meaningfully engage them in progressive alternatives for their lives,” the MP said.
He added, “The war against these issues will not be won physically with bullets and guns but in the mind, with ideas.”
To win the war, the MP says together with his running mate Francis Thoya, they would partner with the civil society and the religious leaders to help shift the attitudes.
The war against these issues will not be won physically with bullets and guns but in the mind, with ideas
TRANSPORT, SECURITY, WATER
The drug war is just but part of the 10-pillar development plan Nassir has laid down to change the fortunes of Mombasa residents.
The ODM candidate says he has a plan to revitalise Mombasa’s economy, provide clean water, build and maintain sewerage and sort the perennial drainage mess.
Nassir also promises to solve public transport challenges in the county and prioritise social welfare in programmes he says are aimed at improving the quality of life for residents.
The outgoing chairperson of the National Assembly Public Investments Committee said he would also be keen to entrench good governance and reform county finance management systems.
Nassir added he would also prioritise investments in education and put in place a facility for managing solid waste.
“We will also work on strategies to make Mombasa a smart city, and leveraging technology for development,” he says.
To stem insecurity incidents, the county government would implement a CCTV programme with a county command centre.
He adds that the county would initiate school holiday programmes so students don’t idle around, and also support creative young people.
On ending water woes at the coastal town, the governor hopeful says he’ll replicate a desalination programme currently rolled out by Mvita NG-CDF, where he is patron.
It is estimated that a paltry 22 per cent of Mombasa households are served with piped water from the main grid. Most residents get supplies from hawkers and boreholes.
Nassir says his team would crack down on water cartels and instal a uniform price for the precious commodity.
We will acquire a second cancer treatment machine so our sick will no longer have to travel out of Mombasa for treatment
PORT AND BLUE ECONOMY
Mombasa Port jobs remain a hot political potato in the August 9 succession race, with the same spilling to the presidential contest.
Nassir says his plan is to engage with the national government and stakeholders to restore port services, such as clearing and forwarding, back to Mombasa.
“We will widen special economic zones and establish export processing zones to create 10,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs per year.”
For sustainability, the governor candidate says his team would work with the national government and Parliament “to secure a corporate stake for Mombasa in the port”.
This would be over and above providing fishermen with deep sea fishing boats, equipment and cold storage facilities as well as set up processing and packing facilities.
The county administration, he says, would also invest in water sports as a business opportunity for the youth.
“We will train and register our youth participating in beach tourism,” Nassir said, adding that he would restructure the county taxation regime and seal loopholes.
The governor hopeful is also pledging to digitise public services, create free public ICT hubs at ward level and set up free WiFi zones across the country.
Nassir adds that licences would be charged based on the economic strength of the respective businesses applying for authorisation in Mombasa.
“Licences should not be an obstacle to doing business in Mombasa,” the outgoing MP said, adding that he’d refurbish existing county markets and construct new ones.
On health, the MP said he’d ensure resources are devolved to support healthcare infrastructure at subcounty level and ensure hospitals have adequate staff and equipment.
“We will acquire a second cancer treatment machine so our sick will no longer have to travel out of Mombasa for treatment,” the governor hopeful said.
He adds that he intends to “harmonise labour relations with healthcare workers to ensure industrial action becomes a thing of the past”.
“We will resolve issues of recruitment, continuous and progressive training for healthcare workers and overdue promotions where justified. Our healthcare workers are the backbone of health systems and we will give them the respect they deserve,” the MP said.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
Nassir is also pledging that the county government will roll out a Sh2,000 monthly cash transfer to the elderly over 65 years of age.
“This social protection initiative is designed to support destitute individuals and to eradicate hunger among the most vulnerable in our society.”
The governor hopeful says this would be over and above MombasaCare, a universal healthcare plan that would see residents covered by NHIF.
To support businesses, the ODM candidate says his administration, should he win, will create a revolving fund to provide seed capital for enterprising women and the youth.
A bursary programme is also in the works for the improvement of education standards in the region as a long-term strategy to fighting poverty and unemployment in Mombasa.
Nassir says this would be executed at all levels, including vocational skills training.
“I commit to running a comprehensive bursary programme through the Serikali Mtaani administrative system,” the MP said.
Connected to the bursary plan is Skillz Mtaani, a programme aimed at absorbing those without formal education but skilled in various fields through which they can earn a living.
Nassir is further promising to end the drainage problem in Mombasa, which is almost becoming a permanent feature of every rainy season.
The incoming team, should they win, he says, would also prioritise solid waste management and prioritise programmes to free the ocean of plastic waste.
“To achieve this, we will identify and set aside appropriate land for disposal of solid waste and put in place a waste management infrastructure for the entire waste cycle,” he said.
Nassir says the desires may not be achieved without prudent management of county funds, hence pledging good governance when he takes over.
He says he has a plan to eliminate wastage, fight corruption decisively, bring investments, streamline revenue systems for efficiency and to reduce leakages.
“I intend to establish fully independent service units — Serikali Mtaani — to manage the delivery of basic services,” Nassir said.
He exudes the confidence that his team will come with a fresh mandate andimplement requests by voters during public forums.
