Ugandan and Kenyan inland ports and lake trade touted as key to unlocking trade potential in East Africa, with Kenya Ports also recently winning an important award for environmental work in the Indian Ocean.
by Blue Africa News
East Africa’s inland shipping received a major boost following the arrival of MV Mpungu, a 96-meter-long cargo vessel from Uganda, which recently docked at Kenya’s Kisumu Port, solidifying the ports’ status as a critical transit hub for cargo movement across Lake Victoria.
The vessel, operated by Grindrod Logistics Africa under East Africa Marine Transport, is loading cargo bound for Port Bell and Jinja, according to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
Patrick Makau, Kisumu Port Manager Cargo Services, while receiving the shipmaster and the crew emphasized the authority’s pride in hosting the vessel, announcing the growth of cargo volumes in Kisumu, from 281,000 metric tons in 2024 to 324,000 metric tons currently.
Makau projected the throughput to reach 400,000 metric tons by the end of the year. “We are committed to supporting regional trade expansion through ongoing infrastructure upgrades, aiming to meet the rising demand and unlock new opportunities across the lake region,” he said.
Obed Nkongoki, the vessel’s captain, spoke on Kisumu’s strategic importance to East Africa’s marine activities.
“Kisumu is a key hub for unlocking trade potential in the region, and we look forward to making regular calls here and to other ports around Lake Victoria,” the captain said.
Kenya and Uganda are key trade partners, with their imports and exports earning both countries hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings.
In 2023, for instance, Uganda exported goods worth US$439M to Kenya. The main products that Uganda exported to Kenya were milk, raw sugar and processed cereals.
Over the same period, Kenya exported US$893M to Uganda, with the main products that Kenya exported to Uganda being cement, palm oil and coated flat-rolled iron.
Further east, the Kenya Ports Authority’s mangrove restoration for ocean protection and increased forest cover along the country’s Indian Ocean coastline emerged winner of the 2025 International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) Sustainability Awards.
The announcement was made during the Gala dinner awards ceremony, at the recent IAPH World Ports Conference in Kobe, Japan, with the recognition following a meticulous evaluation by an independent panel of industry experts under IAPH, celebrating KPA’s commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable port operations.
KPA’s project topped in the environmental care category, after beating two other finalists from a record-breaking pool of 500 global submissions.
Mangrove restoration for ocean protection and increased forest cover project impressed the judges, after demonstrating how ports’ collaboration with local communities and other government agencies can help empower communities and support the conservation of the environment and marine biodiversity for sustainable port operations.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News