Donkey owners in Lamu have appealed to the government and the management of the newly-opened port to give them tenders to supply food and other commodities.
The Lamu Port was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 20 in an event that saw the first ship dock at the first berth in Kililana, Lamu West.
Through the Lamu Donkey Owners Association, the residents said the only way to make them feel the presence of the port in their region is for them to be prioritised, including being given a chance to supply small quantity commodities, especially food items, for the casual labourers working at the port.
The association’s spokesman, Mr Omar Kidege, complained that donkey owners have not benefited in any way since the construction of port began about seven years ago. And since the port has started operations, it is the right time for donkey owners to directly benefit from it, he said.
“We know there are so many activities taking place at the Lamu Port. Our plea to the government and the port’s management is for them to give small tenders to supply foodstuffs and other crucial commodities, especially for the casual labourers at the port. We want to be part and parcel of the facility as a host community,” said Mr Kidege.
Mr Bakari Abdikadir, a donkey owner in Lamu Old Town, expressed confidence that with the Lamu Port in place, donkey transport will expand if the request for tenders is accepted.
“As donkey operators, we want to go commercial. We have for years been using our donkeys only for subsistence. We believe once we are given those small port tenders, the donkey transport business will expand,” said Mr Abdikadir.
Donkeys are the major means of transport in the more than 35 islands within the Lamu archipelago. Lamu Old Town alone, for instance, has more than 3,000 donkeys.
The donkeys are part of the ancient charm of Lamu Old Town, a world heritage site that continues to attract tourists.
The donkey owners’ appeal for tenders comes at a time when stone miners in the region are seeking to be allowed to supply construction material for mega projects in the region. They want to be allowed to supply building blocks and murram, among others.
“We have the ability to supply building materials to all these county and national government projects being undertaken in Lamu each day. We’re unhappy to see the county and national governments ferrying the same materials all the way from Kilifi and Mombasa instead of buying the locally produced raw materials from within Lamu County. Let them create a ready market for us,” said Mr Ben Ojuok, the chairman of the Lamu stone miners.
In Lamu, stone mining is carried out in Manda-Maweni, Mokowe, Hindi, Nairobi Area and Baharini.
