Interior CS Fred Matiang'i was among four Cabinet Secretaries who stormed the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) offices at the port of Mombasa at midnight.
Matiang'i, in the company of CS Adan Mohamed (Industrialisation), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and James Macharia (Transport) made the surprise visits to investigate corruption and massive cargo losses at the port.
Also involved were detectives from the anti-corruption commission in an operation that took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.
KPA Managing Director Catherine Mturi Wairi had to return to work at 11:30 pm on Saturday to respond to queries raised by CS Mohammed on the inefficiencies in the port that saw a backlog of cargo in the facility.
[caption caption="File image of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)"]
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“Why are we claiming the port is operating normally yet things are not working the way they are supposed to be?" the CS is alleged to have posed to the MD according to a report by the Standard.
The CS and the MD held a meeting till 3 am with ICT CS Mucheru joining in at midnight to assess the port's computer cargo clearing system.
The intervention by the CSs was as a result of operational inefficiencies at the port that were deterring the new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) freight services.
According to reports, officials at the facility had devised means to create ways for cargo thieves to thrive leading to loses at the port.
"The order to transport most cargo by the SGR train sounded a death knell to Container Freight Stations (CFS), but yesterday there was an indication they could get a new lease of life to assist the port to decongest the inland container depot.
"Reports, however, indicate that the decision to give CFS a new role was to enable importers and Government to monitor the movement of goods, which has deteriorated under the SGR regime.
"This has, in turn, strained relations with the Chinese government, which financed the SGR, and is keen to recoup its money through an effective railway and port transport system," the publication reported.
[caption caption="CSs Fred Matiang'i (Interior) and Joe Mucheru (ICT)"]
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