Kenya is no doubt Uganda’s big brother neighbor. Literally, when Kenya sneezes, Uganda catches the proverbial cold. So, when the newly elected President Uhuru Kenyatta gave a directive to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) that among others, all government agencies involved in cargo handling and clearance at the Port be coordinated under the Kenya Ports Authority and that all customs decisions should be made and finalized at the Port without further reference to Nairobi, there was reason to jubilate among many of Uganda’s thousands of importers and exporters who rely on Mombasa for survival.
President Uhuru who many in East Africa see as the agent of reform, also ordered that Kenya Revenue Authority’s Commissioner of Customs should from now on sit in Mombasa while all Clearing and Forwarding Companies, Container Freight Stations (CFSs) and banks involved in cargo clearance were directed to work 24/7 or have their licenses cancelled.
This directive was in a bid to speed up the clearance of transit goods, reduce cost of transport due to reduction in truck turnaround time as well as reduce demurrage costs after years of port users complaining over unnecessary delays and bureaucracies at the port.
Building Wealth; Five Ugandan Entrepreneurs Democratizing Access to Investments.Massive expansion
That’s not all, the Mombasa port has been undergoing massive expansion within its 25 year Port Master plan which was first developed in 2001 and then redeveloped in 2005. Although there have been other recent changes in some projects, the aim remains the same make Mombasa larger and more competitively responsive to the growing needs of the region. The expansion drive at the port has seen the extension of the berth 19 terminal by 240 meters, making the current berth 840 meters enough to dock three ships, with an average length of 250 meters.
“With an added stacking yard of 15 acres, we have an additional annual container capacity of 250,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs), a measure used for capacity in container transportation; a factor that shall contribute to improved ship turnaround time, shore and yard handling,
