Magonjwa Mtambuka
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Dar, Djibouti ports overtake Mombasa in new World Bank ranking
MONDAY MAY 22 2023
Kenya Ports Authority receives three Ship to shore Gantry Cranes for the Second Container Terminal at the Port of Mombasa. FILE PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NMG
Dar es Salaam, Djibouti and Berbera ports have toppled Mombasa in the World Bank’s latest ranking on the most efficient ports, highlighting the competition fears that Kenya has had over Tanzania becoming a preferred route for shippers.
The third edition of the global Container Port Performance Index has ranked the Mombasa port at position 326 in 2022 out of the 348 ports worldwide that were assessed, behind the regional peers in eastern Africa.
Kenya’s main port recorded a steep decline from the 2021 report where it was placed at position 296 by the World Bank.
The ports are ranked based on their efficiency, measured by the elapsed time between when a ship reaches a port to its departure from the berth having completed its cargo exchange.
The World Bank notes that efficient operation of the port is key to the development of trade in the region, pointing out that there has been significant improvement in business since 2020 when the marine industry recorded reduced activities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Improving port efficiency is essential for unlocking Africa’s growth and development,” said Martin Humphreys, lead transport economist at the World Bank.
“Africa’s ports are vital gateways for trade and commerce, and efficient operation contributes to food security. Their efficient operation is a key determinant in whether Africa achieves its economic potential.”
This comes even as Tanzania’s Port of Dar es Salaam has in recent years staged stiff competition, threatening to pull most of the ships plying the East African waters into their harbour.
In the ranking, the Tanzanian port recorded improvement from the 2021 ranking to stand at position 312 from 361 previously.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows the volume of cargo handled by Mombasa port dipped for the first time in five years in 2022, with players pointing to rising competition from Dar es Salaam.
Total cargo throughput at the port shrunk to 33.74 million tonnes last year from 34.76 million tonnes the year before, according to KNBS.
The 2.93 percent year-on-year drop pushed the volumes to the lowest levels since 2018 when it stood at 30.92 million tonnes.
Among the report highlights are China’s Yangshan Port, which topped the ranking despite periods of heavy disruption caused by typhoons and various other factors in 2022.
The Port of Berbera (144), Djibouti (26), Port Elizabeth (291), Durban (341) and Cape Town (344) are among the ports that were assessed in sub-Saharan Africa.
→ gandae@ke.nationmedia.com
Efficiency VS throughput are two different things Our column dipped from in 2021 to 33.7m in 2022
Now tell me, How much cargo did all the combined ports in Tanzania handle in terms of TEU and tonnage? I bet you it's the same old story! Despite having been away for a while bado majadiliano ni yale Yale ya Kila siku! Watanzania ni hotuba nyingi na theory tupu. Wakati Kenya tupo na malumbano lakini angalau tunatenda.The East African
Mombasa port grows 12pc despite regional rivalry
Tuesday March 26 2024
Container traffic through Kenya's main port serving several countries in the region grew by 11.9 percent in 2023.
Mombasa port grows 12pc despite regional rivalry
By BUSINESS DAILY
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IN SUMMARY
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Container traffic through Kenya's main port serving several countries in the region grew by 11.9 percent in 2023 on the back of a resurgent trade and economic activity, its operator Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has said.
Traffic through Mombasa port is observed as an indicator of activity in the region's economies. Apart from Kenya, it handles cargo to and from Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, the eastern DRC and Somalia.
The facility handled 1.6 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEU) in 2023, up from 1.45 million in 2022, Capt William Ruto, the KPA managing director said.
“Despite global uncertainties, the port of Mombasa has demonstrated significant growth in 2023. This is a testament to our commitment to operational excellence and efficiency,” he said on the Mombasa port performance.
Read: Mombasa, Dar cargo volumes keep rising with rivalry
By weight, the Mombasa port handled 35.98 million tonnes of cargo in 2023, up from 33.88 million the previous year.
Transit traffic —destined for countries other than Kenya — rose 11.5 percent to 11.41 million tonnes in 2023.
“This growth underscores the port’s strategic importance in facilitating trade flows within the East African region,” Mr Ruto said.
Uganda, South Sudan, and the DRC were the biggest transit markets for cargo through the port in 2023, accounting for 62.3 percent, 52 percent, and 57 percent of the total volumes, respectively.
"Our performance has gone up because of the transit market. We recently had a meeting with representatives from Rwanda and they toured our facilities. They have assured us that most of their cargo will be transited through the port of Mombasa as we have witnessed in the last two months", the KPA boss said Mombasa port grows 12pc despite regional rivalry
Bulker carrier MV Abbay II has successfully completed discharging 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer at the Port of Lamu.
The Ethiopian vessel required an impressive 2,400 trucks to transport the fertilizer ahead of the Ethiopian planting season.
And yesterday Ethiopian State Minister for Transport, Dr. Alemu Sime, attended the ship's send-off signaling Ethiopia's support and the potential for future similar operations.
This event marks several significant milestones for Lamu Port: it's the first time a conventional cargo ship has dispatched cargo across an international border, highlighting the strategic importance of Kenya's second port.
The unloading process attracted a record number of casual labourers thus invigorating Lamu's economy, transforming the UNESCO heritage town into a bustling hub operating around the clock to accommodate the influx of truckers.
The success of MV Abbay II underscores the potential of Lamu Port to complement Mombasa Port and emphasizes the importance of establishing Pan-African shipping lines.
This achievement not only highlights the capabilities of African-owned shipping but also serves as a catalyst for increased maritime activity across the continent. Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure-GoK Benjamin Dalu Tayari #shipping Shippers Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen
Kazi gani?😜
labda ya kutembeza kopo kuomba msaada!Kazi gani?😜
2019 mpaka leo hamjamaliza?Grand expansion for Mombasa, Lamu, inland depots
The ambitious expansion plan of 2012 has made the Port of Mombasa the biggest in East and Central Africa.
It is currently ranked fifth in Africa in terms of cargo volume after Port Said in Egypt, Durban in South Africa, Tanger Med in Morocco and Alexandria in Egypt.
The Kenya Ports Authority management is undertaking huge infrastructure projects within the Port of Mombasa, Lamu Port, Shimoni Port and the Kisumu Port.
Lamu Port’s berth Number 1 and Kisumu Port’s Sh33 billion facelift are also awaiting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s official opening.
In Mombasa, Phase II of the Second Container Terminal (CT2) is 40 per cent complete since construction began in February 2019.
Toyo Construction Co Ltd of Japan is undertaking Phase II of CT2.
In an earlier interview, KPA Managing Director Dr Daniel Manduku said completion of Phase II of the Second Container Terminal will increase Mombasa port's container handling capacity by more than one million Total Equivalent Units (TEUs).
Phase I of the Second Container Terminal, which was commissioned in 2016, can handle 550,000 TEUs, whereas Phase II can handle 450,000.
Last year, the Port of Mombasa handled 1.2 million TEUs and it aims to handle 1.4 million TEUs by the end of this year.
In September this year, the port already had handled 1.06 million TEUs (containers) compared to last year’s 957,568 TEUs within the same period — a 10.7 per cent increase.
“Going by our daily handling of 3,500 TEUs and 4,000 TEUs, simple arithmetic tells us that we might even surpass 1.4 million TEUs in 2019. We are optimistic that we shall surpass our target for this year," Manduku said.
According to KPA’s 30-year (2018-2047) Master Plan, Mombasa Port will be handling about 10 million containers annually within three decades.
Manduku said Mombasa Port has been growing steadily in cargo throughput and container traffic for the last decade.
“By the year 2027, we are looking to handle 2.9 million TEUs, 5.5 million TEUs in 2037 and 9.8 million TEUs in 2047,” Manduku said.
To boost Coast tourism, Mombasa port is also building a Sh350 million Cruise Ship Terminal at Berth Number 1 within the port.
The Cruise Ship Terminal will have an immigration centre, a hotel and accommodation facilities and other amenities. It is 95 per cent complete.
It is expected to be opened in December.
The terminal will allow the simultaneous berthing of two Oasis-class cruise ships, the world's largest.
South of Mombasa, the KPA management is developing the Sh30 billion Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone, which will have additional berths at Mombasa Port.
“We shall also expand and modernise infrastructure, specifically the construction of new berths to the west at the Port of Mombasa,” he said.
KPA is also developing an oil- handling facility by relocating Kipevu Oil Terminal to a more suitable location to allow for expansion.
Meantime, Lamu Port will have new berths for general cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk.
The first Lamu berth has been completed. The first commercial vessel is expected to dock next month.
Manduku says trans-shipment business for Kenya has grown over the last few years.
This year, KPA had projected to 86,255 TEUs of transhipment cargo at Mombasa, but within the first nine months, it had already handled 153,327 TEUs.
“The Port of Mombasa has performed well in trans-shipment cargo. However, we are banking on Lamu Port to be the biggest trans-shipment port in the region,” Manduku said.
The Lamu port will have a capacity of 76 million tons by the year 2047.
Manduku said Lamu port has very attractive traffic regimes for shipping companies and aggressive marketing strategies to ensure it can compete with other ports of the world.
In Nairobi, Manduku said the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi was revamped and its capacity increased to 450,000 TEUs annually.
“Following construction and operationalisation of the SGR, the use of cargo trains has greatly increased traffic to the ICDN, it is recommended the facility’s capacity be expanded to one million TEUs annually,” he said.
The ort boss said container volumes ferried by the SGRareprojected to increase to 732,000 TEUs in 2022, 909,000 TEUs in 2027, 1.33 million TEUs in 2037 and 2.20 million TEUs in 2047.
'Plans are underway to put up other ICDs proposed to be near major economic and logistics centres and national borders ," Manduku said.
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