By Ebi Kesiena
Kenya’s Mombasa port has been voted as the second most efficient facility in Africa.
According to Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director, Captain William Ruto, Mombasa port has been ranked the second-best facility in the continent after Tangier port in Morocco.
“The latest Africa Ports Productivity 2023, the port of Mombasa is ranked second in Africa pointing to improved efficiency,” said Captain Ruto
The head of the KPA noted that the progress has led to inaugural visits from newly established shipping lines to the port. These visits involve the delivery of transshipment cargo intended for various regional ports, serving as a demonstration of confidence in the facility.
“This is a good sign in business and I urge you to uphold the momentum by always giving your best,” he said.
In his New Year message to KPA workers, Ruto applauded the staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work that has been the driving force behind the success, adding that among the achievements was the commencement of night pilotage of oil tankers.
“Having captained this ship for the last ten months, I continue to appreciate your individual and collective efforts, your unwavering dedication and hard work that has been the driving force behind success,” he said.
Ruto acknowledged that the port was attracting business after being recognized globally owing to aggressive marketing.
The port received its first hinterland-bound cargo from the World Food Programme (WFP) recently followed by cruise ship and naval ship calls.
He said the port had acted as a transshipment facility and expressed optimism that it would continue handling huge trans-shipments in the new year.
Ruto noted that Mombasa port had made strides in capacity expansion including the expansion of container handling berths.
He said since KPA has acquired new equipment, productivity at the port is expected to double to reduce the ship’s working time.
He however noted that in 2023, the total cargo throughput grew by 1.587 million tonnes recording 35 million between January and December.
