Kenya Ports Authority gantry cranes offloading containers at the Port of Mombasa. In the last year, the government has made significant investments in infrastructure targeted to boost the fortunes of the blue economy.
The country has forayed into ship-making, launched Lamu Port and revamped Kisumu Port, all aimed at reaping more from the nascent sector.
This week, data from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has pointed at good times ahead with the volume of shipments going through the Port of Kisumu hitting 94,000 tonnes since the port was rehabilitated a year ago. Volumes are expected to increase further before the end of the month.
A visit to the port by Shipping and Logistics revealed a hive of activity as exporters completed logistics to transport their products.
Outside the gates of the port, trucks waited to be allowed in to load transit cargo onto a ship. Several big companies have now turned their attention to the port as they export goods to Uganda. For instance, Bidco Oil and East Africa Breweries Ltd have been using the port to ferry goods to Uganda.
According to KPA, Bidco Oil will be exporting 50 containers of oil through the port. Bidco has been planting palm trees on a Ugandan island to increase cooking oil production.
The consignment belonging to Bidco is expected to arrive at the port through the rehabilitated Kisumu-Nakuru railway line .
The increasing shipment also signals good business for the Kisumu-Nakuru railway line. The rail line was completed following the linking of the Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line at Naivasha.
KPA’s Operations Manager at Kisumu Port, Mwalimu Disi, told Shipping and Logistics that the high demand for exports has seen the number of voyages done by the country’s flagship hauler, MV Uhuru, increase. The vessel is making two voyages per week.
The ship has mainly been ferrying diesel to Uganda. Last year, it made 44 trips to Uganda.
“Sugar and beer are the main commodities being transported to Port Bell in Uganda through the Kisumu port,” said Disi.KPA charges Sh2,000 per tonne of shipment compared to the Sh3,600 exporters pay truckers.The return of lake transport has also shortened the time it takes to deliver goods to Uganda. The journey now takes 13 hours by ship whereas trucks take three days.Road delays have worsened in the last few weeks as Uganda implements Covid-19 restriction measures on truck drivers, which has resulted in huge traffic congestion at […]
