Mombasa: The Mombasa port has witnessed steady growth in the volume of cargo handling following strategic modernization programs and acquisition of latest equipment. Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto said the Authority has rolled out several initiatives to transform the port into a world-class facility.
According to Kenya News Agency, Capt. Ruto mentioned dredging works to accommodate large vessels, the construction of Berth One of Dongo Kundu to support the multi-billion shilling Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and the development of Berth 19B to increase port capacity as part of the efforts to enhance efficiency. He stated that the port recently acquired energy-efficient cargo-handling equipment, including rubber-tyred gantry cranes, to speed up operations and reduce vessel turnaround time, as well as two new state-of-the-art multipurpose boats.
These boats, designed for pilot and tugging services, feature capabilities to support anti-oil pollution measures, advanced firefighting systems, high-capacity towing machinery, integrated coastal navigation technology, and a versatile knuckle deck crane for multi-role maritime operations. “Port expansion and acquisition of modern equipment is crucial to KPA’s efficiency agenda,” added Capt. Ruto.
The KPA boss was speaking during a Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) leadership breakfast in Mombasa. He commended KIFWA for its continued partnership and called for further collaboration to strengthen the logistics sector. “We value this partnership and promise to work with KIFWA to advance the logistics industry and make Mombasa a port of choice,” he added.
Last year, the port handled a record two million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) and posted a total cargo throughput of 41 million metric tonnes. The port infrastructure developments are envisaged to firmly consolidate the new era of the port as a critical transport and logistics hub in the region.
The expansion program seeks to transform the Mombasa port into the most efficient, competitive, modern, and safe port in Africa. Stakeholders and port users contend that improvement of the port infrastructure would catapult Kenya into the league of key global transshipment and commercial maritime destinations. Due to improved efficiency, the Africa Ports Productivity 2023 ranked the port of Mombasa second-best facility on the continent after Tangier in Morocco.
