Mombasa Water downplays graft
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-143916/mombasa-water-downplays-graft
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-143916/mombasa-water-downplays-graft
Mombasa Water Supply and Sanitation Company managing director Alome Achayo has faulted the corruption report released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday. - See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-143916/mombasa-water-downplays-graft#sthash.bxtU3ds0.dpuf
The Shimo la Tewa maximum prison in Mombasa should be moved to a remote area and pave way for a satellite city, Governor Hassan Joho has said. Joho wants the facility, which neighbours the Mtwapa Creek on the Indian Ocean inlet, moved.
He said the prison is on a prime beach front that should be used to invest. Joho said the correctional facility has occupied a large portion of land that can be used for hotels and tourism activities.
Shimo La Tewa is among the country's maximum correction facilities housing hardcore convicts and reforming inmates. It is a major prison holding Somalia nationals charged in Kenya with piracy.
The governor said moving it to a remote area will make it safer and convenient for security purposes. "Why do we have a prison on a beach front? There is no need of having the facility there. We should have it relocated and have the land invested on. We need to create satellite cities in such areas," said Joho.
Joho was speaking on Saturday during the launch of the Mombasa city beautification programme on Nyerere Avenue. Shimo la Tewa has the men's prison, women's prison, a borstal facility and staff quarters.
The land is also used for farming activities by the prisons authorities. It also has the coast regional prisons headquarters and a new high-security courtroom in its compound that was opened to meet increased judicial needs relating to piracy.
The facility is next to the Mtwapa Creek which is among the starting point for deep sea fishing tours at the Coast. It neighbours Mtwapa town in Kilifi county which has leading entertainment spots.
It can be easily done. Find an investor willing to build a prison double the size of this one in a remote area outside MSA. Give them credit towards the procurement of the beach front property currently occupied by the prison. Have the investor eat the expense of moving the prisoners and staff once facility is completed.
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-155823/mombasa-court-reinstates-hawkers-streets#sthash.6AlWkUo7.dpufMombasa hawkers yesterday won a battle against the county government after a High Court ordered they continue to do their businesses outside the Central Business District (CBD) pending hearing of a case they have filed.
Judge Edward Muriithi said the court had a primarily duty under articles 21, 22 and 23 of the constitution to protect their socio-economic rights.
“The county government should provide areas for the hawkers to operate since they have a right to earn a living just like any other Kenyan,” Muriithi said.
He ordered the county government and the hawkers, with the assistance of their counsels, to immediately hold a meeting so as to decide where the hawkers will be taken. The parties are to present a report in court within 14 days.
Muriithi said the hawkers were in negotiations with the county government when they were evicted from the city centre.
He noted that the hawkers were operating in the city centre with an agreement between then and the defunct Mombasa Municipal Council.
The hawkers were on January 10 violently evicted from the city centre by council askaris and hired goons. At least three people were injured as police clashed with the hawkers.
The couty government says it wants to clear the streets from thousands of hawkers that sell their wares in every corner, blocking shop entrances and inconveniencing pedestrians.
Yesterday, judge Muriithi ordered: “Pending hearing of the petitioners’ petition herein, as a conservatory measure, the court orders the respondents to permit the petitioners do their hawking business in areas outside the CBD as previously agreed with the county government predecessor, the Municipal Council of Mombasa subject to payment daily or weekly.”
He however said that the concerns of the stakeholders affected by the hawkers carrying out their businesses in the areas were also to be considered.
He said that the county government being the custodian of the county assets had the right to protect them and allow free flow of traffic, Mombasa being a major tourist attraction centre.
He also urged the county government to provide the hawkers with areas to operate their businesses putting into consideration the security of the town especially against terrorism, robbery and other criminal activities.
Hawkers, through their lawyer Leornard Shimaka, had moved to court seeking partial injunction orders to allow them continue operating and earning a living outside the Central Business District pending hearing of the main petition of being allowed to operate in the Central Business District.
The case will be further mentioned on March 14.
God fucking damnit
NAIROBI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Trademark East Africa (TMEA) said Saturday they have developed a partnership program aimed at increasing capacity in container trade and improve efficiency at the East African country's Indian Ocean port of Mombasa.
The project funded by the British and the Dutch governments to the tune of 53 million U.S. dollars comprises 10 components which include infrastructure and facilities improvement.
"The funds will be utilized to mitigate on inefficiencies and improve capacity at East Africa's largest port and also support the setting up of future longer-term port operation improvements," TMEA CEO Frank Martsaet said during a presidential roundtable on the Mombasa Port Community Charter in Nairobi.
The Mombasa Port Community Charter spells out a number of broad goals, which include transforming the Mombasa port to a highly performing landlord port by 2016 and integration of all port community members systems into the Kenya National Electronic single window system by December.
The Charter also aims at bringing together the port community to complement individual institutional service charters in addressing challenges that act as efficiency barriers.
The move comes after Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta last year directed the clearing process at the port to be digitized in order to enhance efficiency.
Other directives were abolition of transshipment bond, removal of roadblocks along the Northern corridor, rationalization of weighbridges, abolition of scanning of transit cargo within the port and 24/7 hrs operational at port.
Kenyatta directed that the multiple players in government involved in port operations be properly coordinated under the leadership of KPA's MD, who will have direct control over all operation.
All customs decisions were also ordered to be made and finalized at the Port of Mombasa without further reference to Nairobi which has created delays in the pas.
To unlock the trade potential of the Mombasa port corridor, Martsaet said KPA and other stakeholders have developed a Mombasa Port Community Charter to guide trade facilitation through the port for national and regional economic growth and prosperity.
Martsaet regretted that poor infrastructure, delays in cargo clearance and customs procedures at the port contributed to high cost of doing business along the transport corridor.
He however acknowledged the ongoing infrastructure enhancement developments at the port which are bound to ensure increased capacity to handle growing volumes and associated demand for port services.
President Kenyatta, who is expected to launch the Community Port Charter later this month, said the government remained committed to measures and projects that improve on productivity at the port of Mombasa.
The president said the charter was timely as it augments the massive government investment in port infrastructural improvements and cargo handling equipment.
"Am happy to note that port stakeholders came together and developed the port charter to increase efficiency of the Mombasa port corridor," he said.