The Port of Mombasa experienced a 9.8 per cent container traffic growth registering 1,306,283 twenty foot equivalent units – an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals. – during the period January – December 2018 against 1,189, 957 TEUs handled in the same period in 2017.
In total cargo throughput, the Port recorded 1.4 per cent growth in the year 2018 compared to the previous year. The total cargo volume through the Port of Mombasa therefore was 30,759,854 tons in the period January to December 2018 against 30,344,370 tons recorded in the corresponding period in , which translates to an increment of 415,484 tons.
Dry bulk goods, which include grains, clinker, fertilizer and coal, recorded a slight growth of 0.2 percent.
However, Liquid Bulk and Conventional cargo declined to 7,799,810 deadweight tonnage (DWT) from 8,259,365 and from 2,135,656 tons to 1,814,969 respectively during the period under review.
“The drop in Liquid Bulk was mainly attributed to a decline in the importation of refined petroleum products and vegetable oils. Similarly, the decline in conventional cargo was attributed to the decrease in importation of vehicles and Iron and Steel products during the year under review,” says Dave Jones Buchere, Senior Communications Officer at Kenya Ports Authority in a statement to the media.
Meanwhile KPA’s efforts in transshipment continued to post positive results with the end of the year results showing a growth of 38,616 TEUs after 119,819 TEUs were handled in 2018 compared to the 81,203 TEUs handled in the previous year.
“This positive trajectory has been bolstered by a number of projects that the Authority has undertaken to ensure the port’s competitiveness is maintained.
Key among them is the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway connecting the Inland Container Depot Nairobi with the Port,” added Mr Buchere.
Over 190,000 TEUs have been moved to the ICD via the railtainer, greatly increasing the port’s fluidity.
Recently, the port completed the second phase of the SGR within the Port, which has facilitated movement of bulk and loose cargo to the ICD.
