KRA destroys six cars at port

A crane crushes six of the 302 vehicles that acting Finance minister John Michuki ordered crushed to reduce congestion of goods at the port of Mombasa. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA

What you need to know:

  • Destruction is part of campaign to reduce piling up of imported cargo at KPA terminal

Kenya Revenue Authority has began destroying 362 uncollected vehicles at the port of Mombasa.

Only six cars were crushed yesterday because the exercise was called off after the crusher developed mechanical problems.

Ten vehicles had been targeted for destruction on Day One.

The crushing of vehicles, which is expected to reduce congestion of cargo at the port, follows recommendations by a task force formed in September after acting Finance minister John Michuki visited the port and ordered that the vehicles be destroyed to create space for more goods.

Once the vehicles are crushed, they will be sold as scrap metal. Most of the cars to be destroyed were manufactured more than seven years ago and are therefore not eligible to be imported into Kenya.

Kenyan standards

“These vehicles do not meet Kenyan standards and they cannot be registered in the country,” said Mr Mumo Matemu, who heads the task force and is also the commissioner in charge of support services at KRA.

About 303 vehicles that were meant for transit to other countries would be spared, but their owners have up to December 31 to clear them from the port.

“If by January transit vehicles meant for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo will not have been cleared, then we shall also crush them,” Mr Matemu said.

On September 10, acting Finance minister Michuki visited the port and set up the task force whose job was to find ways of destroying vehicles and cargo that had overstayed at the port.

All those affected by the order were supposed to have complied by November 10.

Monday’s exercise was called off soon after the machine, known as a “top loader” was declared faulty. It had lifted an open 40 feet container loaded with blocks weighing about 40 tons and descended on the vehicles that were lined in the Kenya Ports Authority yard.

Among the vehicles earmarked for destruction were Mercedes Benzes, Prados and Pajeros worth millions of shillings.

There were three saloon cars, three ambulances and four Mercedes Benz trucks, four Mitsubishi Pajeros and two Toyota Prados. Other luxury cars among the 665 vehicles to be crushed include an unspecified number of BMWs and Volvos.

KPA operations manager Joseph Atonga said the exercise would free more than five acres of space at the yard.

“Some of these cars are between 10 to 20 years old,” he said. Also set for destruction are 7,000 containers, 1,000 of which have hazardous or toxic materials.

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has been consulted on the procedure to be followed when the containers with hazardous goods are destroyed.

The nature of the goods in all the 6,000 containers earmarked for destruction could not immediately be established, but Mr Atonga said they had general merchandise including sugar, rice, tyres, spaghetti, powder milk, biscuits and electronic goods.

About 45 containers have condemned cargo.