Procured from China, the cranes were discharged by a specialized cargo vessel MV YU AN, in a move expected to push efficiency at the Port of Mombasa to a new level.
by Blue Africa News
Kenya’s Port of Mombasa has reached a key milestone in enhancing its container handling capacity, with the arrival of 10 new state-of-the-art rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes.
“The latest RTGs signal the commitment to positioning Mombasa as the region’s leading trade hub, serving both local and transit cargo markets,” said Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in a statement.
Procured from China, the cranes were discharged by a specialized cargo vessel MV YU AN, in a move expected to push efficiency at the Port of Mombasa to a new level.
In 2022, KPA commissioned 16 RTGs from ZPMC Shanghai, delivered through the Port of Mombasa, with earlier deliveries in 2018 and 2020 also coming from the same Chinese manufacturer.
Recently, KPA acquired new terminal tractors to complement the existing fleet, all are geared toward improving productivity at the berths and reducing vessel turnaround time.
“With continuous modernization, the Port of Mombasa has steadily improved its performance. Last year, it surpassed the 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) milestone attributed to new equipment, expanded capacity, and infrastructure development,” said the Authority.
Indeed, the Port of Mombasa registered a remarkable increase in cargo throughput for the period January to December 2024, as per a KPA report.
The Port handled a total of 41.1 million tons of cargo, a significant rise from the 36.0 million tons registered in the corresponding period in 2023.
In terms of container traffic, the Port of Mombasa recorded a significant milestone, surpassing over 2 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) for the first time, with a total of 2,005,076 TEUs handled in 2024.
It represented an increase of 381,996 TEUs or 23.5 percent, compared to the 1,623,080 TEUs recorded in 2023.
Under the review period, Uganda was the leading Port of Mombasa’s transit destination, accounting for 65.7 percent of the transit cargo with 8, 811,289 tons handled in 2024 up from 7,115,079 tons processed in 2023, representing growth of 23.8 percent.
South Sudan accounted for (12.7 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (11.8 percent), Rwanda (5.1 percent) and Tanzania (3.4 percent).
According to Edwin Onuonga, financial analyst specializing in maritime logistics, trade finance and operational efficiency, KPA’s modernization initiatives coupled with global domestic output (GDO) growth, is likely to influence further growth of the Port of Mombasa.
“Mombasa already handles over 30 million tons of cargo annually,” he says of the Port of Mombasa, often described as the gateway to East and Central Africa.
“And with rising GDO, this figure is projected to grow. Containerized trade (manufactured goods, consumer products, electronics, textiles) will rise sharply, necessitating capacity expansion,” added Onuonga, in a LinkedIn article.
As GDO growth boosts trade, he noted, neighbouring ports like Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, and Durban are also investing heavily, stating that sustained competitiveness will depend on efficiency, reduced turnaround times, and integration with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and road corridors.
“For Kenya and the region, investing in efficiency, sustainability, and innovation will determine whether Mombasa consolidates its role as the premier gateway or risks being overtaken by regional rivals.”
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News