The number of vessels docking at the Mombasa Port has recorded an increase, with Kenya Airports Authority(KPA) announcing a 300% increase in transhipment traffic.
According to KPA, the increase in the number of vessels docking at the facility follows increased intervention to boost economic activities by the government.
Additionally, the increase in the number of vessels docking at the facility has been boosted by the onset of the festive season, coupled with the cashew nuts exporting season in the neighbouring Port of Mtwara in Tanzania.
''The Port of Mombasa has witnessed a rise in vessel arrivals attributed to shipping lines increasing the number of vessels calling the Port and higher volumes of transhipment cargo,'' KPA stated.
''Furthermore, the onset of the festive season in the region coupled with the cashew nuts exporting season in the neighbouring Port of Mtwara has seen the port recording an upsurge in cargo traffic with the additional vessel calls meeting the ensuing demand,'' it added.
Further, KPA attributed the increase in the number of vessels docking at the facility to the major shipping lines adding six feeder vessels to link regional ports with global shipping networks.
The number of shipping vessels arriving at the port is expected to increase even more within the next 14 days.
''According to the 14-day list schedule that shows the vessel calls to the Port of Mombasa for 14 days, the Port is scheduled to handle a total of 41 vessels between 17 December 2024 to 28 December 2024, with these numbers expected to rise,'' KPA indicated.
At the same time, a leading shipping line that operates services to and from the Port of Mombasa has increased their calls up to 20 vessels per month to serve their increasing transshipment cargo volumes using the Port as a hub to serve ports in the East African coast and the Indian Ocean Islands.
To meet the growing number of ships docking at the port, KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto, indicated that the Authority has established various measures including rearranging its operations.
"We are in talks with our stakeholders including Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA), Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) and Kenya Railways to ensure fluidity in the evacuation of cargo along the northern corridor" Ruto revealed.