Uganda asks Kenya to handle auctions fairly
Thursday August 16 2012
Ugandan traders have lost huge sums of money after their containers were auctioned at Mombasa port. Photo/FILE
Uganda has asked authorities at the Mombasa port to ascertain all channels of communication and consultations with owners of delayed goods at the port before they institute auctions.
For months, Ugandan traders have lost their hard earned money after Kenya Revenue Authority auctioned their goods without prior notice.
Uganda High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr Emmanuel Hatega said: “Kenya Revenue Authority and all other relevant stakeholders should ascertain that all channels of communication and consultations with the owners of the goods are exhausted before an auction is carried out”.
“Auctions should be both legally and ethically sound,” Mr Hatega said during a weekly stakeholders meeting at the one stop centre on Monday in Mombasa.
He, however, thanked port stakeholders for their concerted efforts towards improving port efficiency. Hatega said: “The purpose of the meetings is to make people work together for the common good of the people of East Africa.”
He advised members to avoid inward focusing and always embrace the spirit of togetherness of the larger East African Community (EAC). Mombasa Port is an important facility for the whole region.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) had in February reduced the period of free storage of import containers at the port of Mombasa as part of a 100-day moratorium to clear their cargo.
READ: Cargo pile-up reduced after port reforms
In his remarks, the managing director, Mr Gichiri Ndua, said that cargo volumes in the first six months of this year have registered significant growth compared to same period last year.
While total cargo volumes have increased by 15 per cent in the first six months of the year, container traffic alone has grown by 24 per cent.
Mr Ndua said: “KPA holds dear transit traffic, noting that every effort was being made to ascertain an increase of the transit percentage share of the total volumes through the port of Mombasa.”
“In our strategic plan, we aim to drop the Kenyan share of total traffic from 70 per cent to about 65 per cent and increase the share of the transit traffic to more than 30 per cent,” observed Mr Ndua.