Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir has released his 100 days score card since he took over leadership as second governor of the city.
Nassir says among other achievements, his administration has managed to bring sanity in garbage collection that had turned the tourism hub into an eye-saw.
Speaking in a joint interview with various leading media outlets, Nassir said he has improved staff welfare by solving the salary stalemate that had threatened to disrupt service delivery.
"We have ensured a 24 hour economy in our markets by installing CCTVs in our markets and roads, we are in the process to install similar lights in our roads," Nassir said.
He said a finance bill that is currently in the public participation stage will also ease the burden of traders in doing business by reducing licenses. After a research with Kenya national chamber of commerce, Nasir says small traders are most affected when it comes to taxation.
"We want to reduce corruption by ensuring that we provide an opportunity for all traders to pay tax levies without being victimised, we have synchronised everything to ensure a systemic payment of levies," said Nassir.
Last year the governor signed an MOU with Kenya commercial Bank to an agreement t6hat saw county employees receive their salaries by every 25 dates of the Month without delays.
The county has also created a secure and safe working environment for traders in major markets after the county installed CCTV cameras and lighting systems to facilitate business activities.
He also stated that in the first 100 days he has partnered with Japan international cooperation Agency to increase the bed capacity at the intensive care unit in the coast teaching and Referral hospital.
And for the sick, the governor has also partnered with Jomo Kenyatta University and launched a mobile laboratory designed to test various health conditions in Mombasa County.
He has also signed an MOU with ECDE Schools to facilitate provision of free lunch for pupils.
Nassir said his target is to ensure that by the end of his five year term Mombasa improves on revenue generation. The county is now working on investment data to inform on investing.
"According to the Kenya bureau of statistics, tourism contributes to 4 percent of our revenue, but this is very little, we are doing a lot in ensuring that we get more direct flights to Mombasa to boost our tourism numbers," he said.
Kenya Coast tourism sector is banking on the introduction of direct flights from Dubai to Mombasa to grow its tourism numbers in 2023 season.
UAE is the principal market for Kenya in the greater Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
On Thursday Dec 15, 2022, Kenya celebrated a huge milestone when National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) took to the skies, its maiden non-stop flight from the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa to Dubai.
The inaugural flight was flagged off by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who said direct flights from Mombasa to Dubai was key in facilitating the movement of passengers and goods from the Kenyan coast to the United Arab Emirates.
