Mombasa port's Ksh.41B expansion to kick off by December - Kindiki

The government is finalizing plans to expand the port of Mombasa at a cost of Ksh.41 billion, with construction works expected to start by this December, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has revealed.

The DP said the port’s expansion is crucial to ensure it effectively handles increased cargo after registering an increase in containers received over the last three years.

“The President ensured port operations were returned immediately he was sworn into office. Now it is time to expand the port. The President will be here to launch the expansion which will be done at a cost of Ksh.41 billion,” DP said.

The Deputy President spoke on Sunday during Nyali Constituency Economic Empowerment event in Nyali, Mombasa County.

The Kenya Ports Authority recently reported a huge increase in the number of containers from 1.4 million to 2 million, calling for its expansion to quickly discharge them.

“The government is keen to expand the port to make it more efficient and handle more operations because it is a critical facility to our country,” Prof. Kindiki added.

The investment is among other projects funded by the government in Mombasa and the other five coastal counties, which are at the centre of the administration’s expansive development agenda.

Others are the expansion of Nyali Bridge-Mtwapa-Kilifi highway, the dualling of Changamwe-Jomvu-Mazeras-Mariakani Road, completion of Dongo Kundu Bypass, which will ease transport in the coastal city and its environs.

Prof. Kindiki said Ruto’s government has accorded the region special attention as compared to previous administrations that did not pay much attention to the area.

“Previous governments have come and gone without fulfilling promises to the people in the coastal region. It is only Ruto’s administration that is implementing all the promises to the people in the region,” he indicated.

Additionally, Mombasa County is a big beneficiary of the affordable housing project. Already Sh6 billion has been allocated for the Nyali Phase 1 Housing Project that targets construction of 2000 units and Phase 2 at Ksh.1 billion for 83 units.

The government is also hastening completion of Kidongo Fish Landing Site being constructed at Ksh.175 million in Kisauni, Likoni Fish Market at Ksh.77 million and Tuna Fish Hub at Ksh.1.5 billion. The construction of Liwatoni Fish Port is also progressing.

“President Ruto is the first to invest heavily in the blue economy. We want to grow the fish sector to support the people of Mombasa and the coastal region,” DP noted.

The DP also assured coastal residents of the government’s resolve to sort out the perennial squatter issues that have remained unresolved for many years.

“We have already allocated Ksh.h2 billion to settle squatters in the region. We want to fully deal with the squatter problem in the coastal region exhaustively,” he stated.

The DP also applauded Mombasa County for leading in SHA registration, saying the county tops with 900, 000 out of 1.1 million residents enrolled for the universal medical cover.