Nassir sworn in, waives licence penalties

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir swung into action immediately after being sworn into office and issued a number of executive orders.

Nassir and his deputy Francis Thoya were sworn into office at the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park on Thursday.

The ceremony was attended by Azimio top brass Martha Karua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Nassir's first executive order waived licence penalties levied on markets and businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Mombasa residents are struggling with the rising cost of living as income dwindles as our hotel industry and port-related businesses struggle,” Nassir said.

“It is for this reason that immediately after this, I shall report to my office to sign my first executive order on the waiving of licence penalties levied on markets and businesses during the Covid-19 period to enable our people to resume normal operations without undue financial burden.”

He promised to be a servant governor.

His priority will be the revival of Mombasa's economy, he said.

Nassir said dormant businesses will soon be revamped and existing ones expanded through his administration’s business-friendly policies.

“I will work together with the county assembly to fast-track legislation to consolidate licences in Mombasa into a single business permit," he said.

"This new single business permit shall cover all forms of county licensing, including health inspection, business, fire inspection and other attendant fees."

The second executive order was to waive historical clamping fees to allow the county to start afresh in the collection of parking revenue.

Pending clamping fees, Nassir said, served as a compliance obstruction.

He said people want to pay parking fees, but were stopped from doing so due to accrued fees.

“My third executive order shall be to abolish land rates levied upon registered places of worship, including churches, mosques and temples,” Nassir said.

The governor said the 2010 Constitution enshrines freedom of religion without any form of encumbrance, adding that he will remove any obstacles to people’s inalienable right to free worship.

He promised that Mombasa will remain the diverse and multicultural hub it has been.

Nassir's next executive order will establish a health task force to unravel what ails Mombasa's healthcare system.

The task force, he said, shall propose concrete solutions for immediate implementation within 30 days.

“From these proposals, my government will endeavour to resource the devolved healthcare infrastructure at subcounty level so that there is adequate staff, medication and equipment to serve the needs of the people," Nassir said.

"I will harmonise labour relations with our healthcare workers to ensure that industrial action becomes a thing of the past."

He promised to deal conclusively with the endless strikes witnessed in the health sector through open, honest dialogue.

He pledged to resolve issues of continuous and progressive training for healthcare workers and process overdue promotions in consultation with the county public service board.

The governor also promised property developers a faster, transparent and automated building approval process.

Construction is the county's second-largest revenue stream.

Nassir welcomed the recent directive by President William Ruto to revert port services to Mombasa.

“We look forward to the subsequent stimulus effect and the creation of jobs for our people that will arise from this. This is a bold step in the right direction towards the economic revival of our county,” he said.

Nassir said he will engage the national government, through the legally provided structure of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Committee, to advocate a fair share of port revenue in line with global practice.

Nassir said the global standard is that ports all over the world are managed by local governments and as such, the people of Mombasa should benefit from having the port as her God-given natural resource.

“I further challenge the national government to move with speed to fully implement the Single African Air Transport Agreement, better known as the Open Skies Policy, to allow international visitors from 320 countries to access our coastal region’s 40,000 hotel beds without necessarily travelling through Nairobi,” he said.

Nassir said it was important that Qatar Airways, Turkish Airways and Emirates resume direct flights to Mombasa to put money in the pockets of the struggling tourism players.

“In addition to this, in our conversations with the national government, we shall seek the prioritisation of the completion of Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone that would see more than 50,000 jobs created in Mombasa even as I, at county level, operationalise the Miritini Industrial Park,” he said.

Nassir said under his leadership, the menace of unsightly garbage in the streets shall be a thing of the past.

The former Mvita MP said his administration will float an international expression of interest to invite a strategic partnership to assist the county in managing solid waste in a sustainable, affordable and profitable manner within his first 100 days in office.

“Within the first 100 days of my administration, I also intend to roll out the Serikali Mtaani programme that will bring government and all of its services from the governor’s office in Treasury Square directly to you," he said.

“We want to make sure services are easily accessible to you where you are. Towards this end, my government shall, with immediate effect, issue a directive that the subcounty administration be expanded to include village administrators who will be drawn from our local communities to enhance the efficiency of service delivery.” 

(Edited by Tabnacha O)