Deputy President William Ruto has refuted claims that the central government is planning to privatise the Port of Mombasa.
Addressing Kenya Port Authority (KPA) staff at Mbaraki in Mombasa on Sunday, Ruto said the port will be under the national government's watch, as they seek to synthesize modernization of the hub.
He said the move is aimed at increasing efficiency and speed up the movement of goods within and without the port, which will inturn help in clearing any backlog.
"As Jubilee government, we don't have plans to privatize the Port of Mombasa. What we are doing is economization. We want to come up with special economic zones in Voi and Naivasha, a move which has been misinterpreted by some individuals,” said the DP.
“The modernization of the Port of Mombasa is meant to increase efficiency and speed up the movement of goods. It will also reduce the number of days it takes to process cargo for export and import,” he added.
The DP lauded the dock workers for their hardwork and commitment to ensuring smooth operation at the port, and also promised to reabsorb 28 staff members who had been dismissed.