The port of Mombasa increased the amount of cargo handled by 6.3% to 29.8 million tonnes in the eleven months ending May 2019 compared to the previous period, data released by the port’s management revealed
The management attributed the increase to higher efficiency, a surge in imports, greater capacity following the expansion of the East African port.
The port serves as an entry point to east and central Africa, it processes imports and exports for Kenya and other countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Burundi.
“The positive performance was mainly driven by increased handling (of) cargo for Uganda, D.R.C and South Sudan,” Daniel Manduku, the port’s managing director, said in a report.
Over the eleven months under review, container traffic increased by 13.1% to 1.27 million Twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs). Cargo destined for other countries was up 10%.
The expansion drive of the port which was initiated in 2012 entailed the construction of a new container terminal and dredging to enable bigger vessels access to the port.
The first phase of the expansion project partially-financed by Japan raised the port’s cargo handling capacity by 550,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). Phase two of the second container terminal is expected to provide an additional capacity of 450,000 TEUs.
The Government of Kenya and Japan signed a Sh35 billion loan facility for the construction of phase two of the second container terminal at the port.
