County disrupts firm’s operations over contempt
A man standing on the section of the Kibarani dumpsite that was part of the nine-acre piece of land reclaimed by private developer to construct a container freight station in this picture taken on November 6, 2017. The Court of Appeal in Mombasa has stopped further development of the plot. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The court had also restrained the firm from using the land being reclaimed.
- County secretary Francis Thoya said they had no alternative other than to block the exit.
Controversy between the Mombasa County Government and a private company escalated on Wednesday after the devolved unit moved to enforce a Court of Appeal order it claims the investor has refused to comply with.
The court, on November 2, issued an order restraining Makupa Transit Shade Ltd, which runs a container freight station (CFS), from continuing with any reclamation of the Indian Ocean at the Makupa Creek.
The court had also restrained the firm from using the land being reclaimed for commercial or private purposes.
On Wednesday, county government officials used mounds of garbage from the nearby Kibarani dumpsite to block the exit of the Makupa Transit Shade premises, claiming that despite the order, the company was still going on with operations.
County secretary Francis Thoya said they had no alternative other than to block the exit after they realised that operations were going on at the CFS despite serving them with the order.
“What we have done is to ensure that nothing goes on until a matter in court is heard and determined,” he said.
The blockade caused a massive traffic jam in Kibarani.
