On Tuesday, October 22, businessmen including transporters and CFS owners and activists, Fast Action Movement and Haki Africa, visited ODM leader Raila Odinga at his home in Nyali.
Led by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, the group visited the former prime minister with the aim of discussing matters affecting the Mombasa economy.
One of the things the group discussed was the monopolization of SGR cargo transportation.
In 2017, the government implemented policies requiring mandatory transfer of most import cargo through the Madaraka SGR freight service to Nairobi
"We paid a courtesy call to the former Kenya Prime Minister H.E Raila Odinga to deliberate on the current state of the economy of Mombasa as a result of the SGR monopoly," Haki Africa posted on its Facebook page.
Further, while addressing some of the protestors, the MP stated that there were quite a number of residents who were unemployed, adding that monopolization of the SGR cargo transportation would only make the situation worse.
"If you see Mombasa residents going on demonstrations, then it is evident that we have been angered by the SGR directive.
"The residents of Mombasa are loving and peaceful people. We respect the constitution of this country but equally we ask for respect of our livelihoods," Shariff stated.
On Wednesday, October 16, President Uhuru Kenyatta, during the commissioning of the expressway from JKIA to Westlands, fiercely defended the government's decision to go ahead with the second phase of the controversial infrastructure project, describing the critics as foolish.
"God willing, by the end of this year, we will develop trains that will transport cargo to Naivasha. I want to tell those questioning this project that there is nothing as bad as a foolish person," he stated.
