The Kenya Ship Agents Association (KSAA) is urging the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to implement long-term measures to decongest the Port of Mombasa and resolve an escalating crisis involving more than 20,000 empty containers.
KSAA CEO Elijah Mbaru said the industry has recently been grappling with heightened volatility, including increased business costs, vessels waiting for days at the outer anchorage, and spillover effects from the post-election crisis in a neighboring country.
“We also have issues with the hinterland connectivity, whereby we don’t receive boxes as we are supposed to. We experience delays, and the final effect is that we are forced to pay substantial damages in terms of ships’ charter fees and other associated fees,” stated Mbaru.
“We are looking at fluidity in the supply chain and logistics to achieve efficiency,” he added, noting that they are working very closely with government agencies including Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kentrade, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and Kenya Railways to have a lasting solution.
KSAA Chairman Roger Dainty confirmed that congestion at the Port of Mombasa remains a challenge, describing it as a carryover from the same period last year, when more vessels traditionally dock during the final quarter.
“We never properly cleared that congestion. As a consequence, it becomes more and more difficult to work on ships. The productivity drops, and as a consequence, it’s difficult to load empties out of the country, which has led to congestion in the depots,” said Dainty.
However, he pointed out that there has been significant progress in recent weeks, with a vessel moving 3,000 containers out of the country last week and plans underway to evacuate more.
“It is a difficult situation because the port is very full. We are not convinced that the measures put in place by KPA and KRA are actually going to have a significant impact,” he stated.
The agents are now calling for more containers to be designated to Container Freight Stations to ease the buildup at port terminals and depots, creating space to evacuate empty containers.
The Chairman noted that 20 container ships and several break-bulk ships are waiting on the outer anchorage to dock at the Port of Mombasa.
Mombasa Deputy Governor Francis Thoya noted that for the Port of Mombasa to have a competitive edge against other neighboring ports, there is an urgent need to address bottlenecks affecting port operations.
Thoya urged the management to activate the Port Users Committee to address the congestion in an effort to enhance port efficiency.
The DG noted that logistics is the lifeline of Mombasa, and the transportation of cargo to the hinterland and the neighboring landlocked countries hinges on the port’s efficiency.
The County Government of Mombasa pledged to collaborate with KPA to identify nearby spaces for container storage, acknowledging the city’s land constraints and the high cost of establishing operational areas outside the port.
By Sadik Hassan
