Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has recounted how vested interests stopped the development of the Port of Mombasa, one of Kenya's key infrastructures.
Mudavadi disclosed that when he served as the Finance Minister, between 1993 and 1997, Kenya explored a potential partnership with Singapore for the development of the Port of Mombasa.
He noted that the goal at the time was to elevate the country's main port to the standard of Singapore's port, a country he said has one of the best harbours in the world.
"We were trying to get a partnership between the Port of Singapore and the Port of Mombasa because the Singapore people are extremely efficient in port management," Mudavadi stated.
Speaking during an interview with journalist Alex Chamwada, the PCS disclosed that he personally travelled to Singapore, where he negotiated the deal.
According to Mudavadi, his trip bore fruit, and a Singaporean team agreed to come to Kenya with the intention of improving the port's infrastructure and efficiency.
"The Singapore ports are one of the most efficient ports globally. I went to Singapore, and I had time to negotiate with them. I came with those people to Kenya," the CS revealed.
However, the move to renovate the Port of Mombasa by the Singaporeans was strongly opposed by people Mudavadi described as cartels, who he claimed were benefiting from rogue practices at the port.
He disclosed that the cartels constantly frustrated the foreign investors to the point that the Singaporeans decided to leave the country, abandoning the multi-million shilling project.
"When we brought these people to partner with the Port of Mombasa, the cartels in Mombasa who did not want Mombasa to achieve international standards fought and chased away the team from Singapore and frustrated them," he disclosed.
While reflecting on the incident, Mudavadi noted that the challenges facing Kenyans, particularly in infrastructure development, are mostly self-imposed.
"Kenya will not grow if we continue as an inward-looking people. We must get ourselves to see the examples, the developments and the best practices that are taking place in other countries," the CS reiterated.
Singapore has gained traction in the last year as President William Ruto has emphasised the 'Singapore Dream,' a vision to transform Kenya from a third-world to a first-world economy.
Just this month, he initiated the Ksh5 trillion Infrastructure Fund to support that goal, amid sharp criticism from the opposition.
