The Port of Mombasa handled 11% more in the first quarter of 2021 than it did in 2020 – before the worst of the Covid-19 slowdown.According to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Mombasa moved 9.54 million tons in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 8.62 million tons in the same period of 2020 – a growth rate of 10.7%.The main commodities were clinker and wheat. Between January and March 2021, the port increased container volumes by 14.3% – from 340 812 TEUs to 389 515 TEUs. Transhipment traffic accounted for 69 658 TEUs against 41 363 TEUs during the corresponding period in 2020 – a growth of 6.8%.Total imports during the first quarter were 162 504 TEUs – increasing by 10 506 or 6.9% from the 151 998 TEUs in 2020.There was a 6.8% increase in exports, from 146 049 TEUs in 2020 to 156 007 TEUs in 2021Kilindini Harbour is the main part of the Port of Mombasa, the only international seaport in Kenya and the biggest port in East Africa. According to the KPA, improved efficiencies have seen the cargo dwell time in the port of Mombasa being reduced from an average of 5.6 to 4.6 days.KPA has taken over the management of the Port Reitz rail yard from Kenya Railways and has worked with logistics companies to reorganise the operations and improve efficiencies.Double-deck wagons are being used on the standard gauge line. "Loading of double-deck wagons has greatly boosted the number of containers being evacuated. We started with one double-deck train of 38 wagons hauling 152 TEUs and this has now stabilised at two trains per week with plans to run at least one double-deck train per day," says the acting managing director Rashid Salim.Despite Covid, the Port of Mombasa recorded a marginal decline of 0.9% in total cargo in 2020. A total of 34.12 million tons of cargo were handled in 2020 against 34.44 million tons in 2019.Container traffic declined by 4% from 1 416 654 TEUs in 2019 to 1 359 579 in 2020. “The decrease was mainly attributed to disruptions to the supply chain because of global lockdowns imposed due to the raging Covid-19 pandemic,” according to the KPA.Improved efficiencies have seen the cargo dwell time in the Port of Mombasa being reduced from an average of 5.6 to 4.6 days. – Kenya Ports Authority
