Mombasa: The government will expend Sh41 billion to expand and modernize Mombasa Port to transform it into a major maritime hub. This, according to maritime stakeholders, will boost efficiency, competitiveness and create more job opportunities.
According to Kenya News Agency, during his recent visit to the coastal region, President William Ruto announced the expansion plan, citing the port's rapid growth in cargo volumes. President Ruto commended Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) for the significant improvement in cargo handling saying the government will inject Sh41 billion to make the port more efficient, bigger and competitive. The President noted that in the past three years, KPA had increased its handling capacity from 1.4 million to 2 million containers, saying there is need for further expansion.
Mombasa port is the gateway for landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, and has lately witnessed major improvement through multi-billion infrastructural, technology and modern equipment investment. The infrastructural improvement under the Mombasa Port Development Programme (MPDP) initiative has seen the construction of multibillion-shilling projects such as phase two of the second container terminal, Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT), Cruise Ship Terminal and the modern tug jetty at the marine dockyard, which is crucial for port operations.
The port has registered a remarkable increase in cargo throughput for the period January to December in the year 2024. KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto said the Authority attained 2 million TEUs container traffic, adding that the port performance recorded an increase of cargo throughput registering 40.99 million metric tons in 2024 against 35.98 million metric tons in 2023. "Container traffic grew significantly by 24 per cent, registering 2.005 million TEUs in 2024 compared to 1,623 million TEUs in 2023," said Capt. Ruto.
He added that due to improved efficiency, the Africa Ports Productivity 2023, ranked the port of Mombasa second-best facility in the continent after Tangier in Morocco. KPA boss said this was as result of new shipping lines making maiden calls to the port to deliver transshipment cargo destined for other regional ports as a show of confidence in the facility. 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 observed that improvement of the port infrastructure would catapult Kenya into the league of key global transshipment and commercial maritime destinations. "The port expansion works will transform Mombasa port into the region's transport and trade hub besides improving its efficiency and giving it a competitive edge," said a Maritime Consultant Andrew Mwangura.
He contends that the port investments will in the long run improve cargo handling, operational efficiency and decongest the port. "The government should invest more so as to make the port of Mombasa a classic facility, achieve high productivity and guarantee efficient cargo freight services to importers and exporters," added Mwangura. For KPA to achieve its overall objective to make it a port of choice, Mwangura called for closer collaboration among all stakeholders and port users.