Kenya Ports Authority managing director William Ruto anticipates that the facility will surpass its annual target this year, attributing the success to enhanced operational efficiency.
Ruto stated that the port is poised to exceed the annual projection of 1.5 million TEUs, having already recorded 1.3 million in the first 10 months leading up to December.
This achievement coincides with the Port of Mombasa facing stiff competition from the Dar es Salaam port, as East African countries previously utilising the northern corridor shift towards the central corridor through Tanzania.
Cap Ruto highlighted that the port’s improved performance is a result of strategic measures, including the expansion of container handling berths, heightened automation of services, the acquisition of modern ship and cargo handling equipment, and strengthened collaborations with key government agencies and stakeholders.
The throughput performance in Mombasa reflects a significant growth of 10.2 percent compared to the same period in 2022 when it handled 1.2 million TEUs.
However, despite this positive development, the third edition of the global Container Port Performance Index ranked the Mombasa port at position 326 out of 348 worldwide, lagging behind regional peers in eastern Africa.
The efficiency rankings in the Container Port Performance Index are determined by the elapsed time between a ship’s arrival at the port and its departure from the berth after completing cargo exchange.
The decline in Mombasa’s ranking is evident, considering its position at 296 in the 2021 report by the World Bank.
Various initiatives contributed to the increased throughput, including the expansion of container handling berths, heightened automation of services, the acquisition of modern ship and cargo handling equipment, and enhanced partnerships with key government agencies and stakeholders.
Presently, the Port of Mombasa boasts 16 ship-to-shore gantries (STSs), 25 reach stackers, 27 empty container handlers, 58 rubber-tyred gantries, and eight rail-mounted gantries, among other equipment.
gandae@businessdayafrica.org