Containers at the Port of Mombasa. [Photo/ businessdailyafrica.com]
The Dock Workers Union (DWU) has called upon the national government to establish a dry port at Mariakani in Mombasa to create more job opportunities for the local community in the area.
The unionists also argued that the dry port will end the rivalry between Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and President Uhuru Kenyatta. Joho has objected the establishment of a dry port in Naivasha arguing that it will kill the economy of Mombasa once it becomes operational, claims that have been dismissed by the government.The government is also planning to set up another dry port in Voi, a proposal that has equally attracted different reactions among leaders in the country.DWU secretary general Simon Sang argued that the establishment of the dry port will create 6,000 jobs as well as boost the economy of Mombasa County. He also noted that the port will ease operations at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), adding that consignments will take less than 24 hours at the port.“Mariakani will act as an extension of the port storage,” he said on Tuesday. He further noted that more than 100 companies have already expressed their willingness to support the establishment of the port, adding that there will be no need to expand the Port of Mombasa if the national government sets up a dry port.“The Mariakani dry port will enable KPA to handle up to two million containers without the need to expand the Mombasa port,” he said.