Mombasa: Freight stakeholders in Mombasa have raised concerns over the growing backlog of empty containers at depots and urged government agencies to take urgent action to avert further disruption in the logistics chain. Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) National Secretary, Musa Mbira, highlighted that the shortage of space for empty containers has slowed truck turnaround time and strained transporters who rely on daily operations for income. He noted that the crisis began in June and worsened in November.
According to Kenya News Agency, the crisis has left more than 500 trucks immobilized with empty containers, effectively turning the vehicles into storage facilities. At a press conference held at the Mombasa Sports Club, Mbira urged the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and Kenya Ships Agent Association (KSAA) to engage the Governors of Mombasa or Kilifi to allocate land in areas such as Mazeras, Miritini, or Jomvu for temporary container storage for 90 to 120 days. He warned that the situation could become catastrophic during the December peak season if left unresolved.
Mbira further threatened that if there is no proper outcome on the issue of container returns in the next seven days, members would be advised to drop the containers directly at the doors of shipping lines. This is compounded by the fact that many members are struggling to service truck loans and support their families due to lost business opportunities. The freight forwarders accused shipping lines of operating outside regulatory frameworks and repatriating demurrage charges to offshore accounts, thereby draining foreign currency from the country.
He called on the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) to enforce its directives on shipping lines, drawing a parallel with KRA’s practice of suspending non-compliant clearing agents. Newton Wang’oo, Kenya Transporters Association Chair, echoed these concerns, noting that over 500 trucks are idle with containers, resulting in substantial business losses.
KIFWA member Roy Mwathi suggested possible sabotage of the logistics industry due to the full depots of unutilized empty containers, urging the national government to intervene. Salim Mubarak criticized shipping lines for charging demurrage on empty containers lined up for drop-off at full depots, despite transporters being told their free demurrage periods had not yet started.
Moreover, KIFWA Executive Officer Andrew Ochieng warned that Kenya risks losing regional business to Tanzania due to better regulation of shipping lines there. He revealed past conspiracies by shipping lines to remove regulatory sections that prevented them from venturing into other businesses, and lamented the lack of action despite sharing concerns with relevant bodies.
KIFWA Mombasa Branch Chair Rajab Khamisi expressed frustration with the KMA’s inability to regulate shipping lines despite its mandate, warning of potential drastic measures if intervention does not occur. The freight forwarders are now calling on Cabinet Secretary for Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho, a former clearing and forwarding agent, to urgently intervene before the crisis paralyzes port operations and the town of Mombasa.
