Operations at the Port of Mombasa hang in the balance as thousands of workers threaten a go-slow over delayed bonus payments, a move that could trigger significant cargo congestion and economic disruption just as the festive season hits its peak. The dispute places the Dock Workers Union (DWU) in a tense standoff with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), risking the paralysis of a facility vital to the nation's economic health.

The heart of the issue is a bonus payment that workers argue is long overdue. A go-slow would not just delay ships; it would directly impact the wallets of ordinary Kenyans. Delayed clearance of goods often leads to shortages and increased prices for consumers, affecting everything from daily essentials to festive commodities, a severe blow as families budget for school fees due in January.

A Looming Economic Storm

The timing of the threatened industrial action could not be worse. The port is already grappling with a surge in vessel traffic, partly due to holiday imports and cargo diverted from Dar es Salaam. Currently, about 26 vessels are waiting to offload their cargo. A deliberate slowdown by workers would exacerbate this congestion, creating a logistical nightmare with far-reaching consequences.

The economic stakes are immense. Any paralysis at the port has a direct and costly impact on trade, not just for Kenya but for landlocked neighbours like Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan who depend on Mombasa for their supply chain. Past strikes have cost the KPA over KES 100 million per day in handling fees alone, with shipping lines incurring losses of between KES 5 million and KES 10 million daily per vessel. For Kenyan businesses, this translates to:

• Increased operational costs from shipping delays.
• Higher prices for consumers as retailers pass on the extra costs.
• Potential loss of business to competing regional ports.

Union Demands Meet Management Silence

Dock Workers Union Secretary-General Simon Sang has been vocal, urging the KPA management to honour its commitment to the workers. "We are asking KPA management to communicate their plans on bonuses and release the funds before January since workers need to pay school fees," Sang noted, highlighting the urgency of the situation for his members. The union insists that the bonus is not a privilege but a right earned through the port's strong performance.

Despite these calls, the KPA management has remained silent on the matter, failing to provide a timeline or clarification, which has only fueled the workers' agitation. This standoff is reminiscent of past disputes that have often required high-level government intervention to resolve. While bonuses for the 2020/2021 financial year were approved, their disbursement has been a recurring point of contention.

As the clock ticks towards the peak of the festive season, the nation watches anxiously. The resolution of this bonus dispute is no longer just an internal KPA matter; it is a critical issue of national economic security that will determine whether goods flow freely or grind to a costly halt.