The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has launched a sweeping cleanup at the Port of Mombasa, ordering the removal of long-stay containers and condemned cargo in a move aimed at easing congestion and improving vessel turnaround times.
- •The directive, issued on Friday, gives owners of the targeted cargo 14 days to clear it or face removal and destruction at their expense.
- •The measure targets containers that have sat idle for months or years, occupying valuable space in East Africa’s busiest maritime gateway.
- •The Port of Mombasa, a critical trade artery for Kenya and landlocked neighbours including Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has long struggled with abandoned cargo.
According to KPA, about 270 containers have been slated for destruction. Most of these containers have commodities such as wheat, fertilizers, mosquito repellents, creams and wafers, supermarket supplies, hygiene products, second-hand clothing, raw sugar, rotten rice, beer, wines, and other chemicals.
Most of these products had expired but destruction protocols will be different due to the nature of some products. KPA recommends high incineration, deep burial for some, and re-export to the country of origin.
Many of the containers were stuck in customs disputes, import-export disagreements or left unclaimed due to financial difficulties. Their presence at the port has clogged yard space, limiting the port’s ability to handle growing regional trade volumes.
The cleanup comes as competition intensifies from regional rivals such as Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port, which has invested heavily in capacity and efficiency upgrades. Mombasa’s congestion has been a key concern for shipping lines and cargo owners seeking faster turnaround and predictable operations.
KPA plans to upgrade the Terminal Operating System at the Port of Mombasa and expand berthing capacity to handle rising vessel calls and cargo volumes. A new 240-metre berth with capacity for 300,000 TEUs has been tendered, while the third phase of Berth 23, backed by the Japan International Development Agency, will add 500,000 TEUs.
These works follow recent multi-billion shilling investments, including the KSh32 billion second container terminal expansion, the KSh40 billion Kipevu Oil Terminal, and a KSh1 billion cruise terminal.
The Authority will absorb the initial cost of clearing the space but will recover expenses from cargo owners. The 14-day deadline is designed to end protracted disputes over abandoned cargo and accelerate the use of available space.
Clearing abandoned containers is expected to improve yard utilization rates, reduce ship delays, and lower logistics costs across East Africa. The authority plans to monitor performance metrics such as dwell times and vessel turnaround to measure the initiative’s impact.
