The newly-constructed Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Second Container Terminal has received its first container vessel after its completion in February. Mv Busan Trader from Colombia docked at the port of Mombasa on Monday at 2.30 pm and off-loaded the first container at 4.22 pm.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officially took charge of the first phase of the facility after the official hand over from a Japanese contractor, on February 29, at the KPA headquarters. “It is the first vessel since it was handed over to us and this is a boost to our business at the port of Mombasa and the East African region,” said KPA Corporate Affairs Manager, Benard Osero.
The Sh28 billion terminal was handed over after a thorough inspection by KPA top management and government engineers. According to Osero, the concessionaire to operate the first phase of the second container terminal at the main Mombasa Port is set to open up regional trade and boost economic growth.
The first phase of the $300 million terminal comprises two berths which are set to handle increased cargo traffic within the East African region. The port of Mombasa is the biggest in the region and also doubles up as the gateway that handles fuel and consumer goods imports as well as exports of tea and coffee for landlocked neighbours such as Uganda and South Sudan to the European market.
According to 2016 KPA statistics, the new terminal is projected to have a capacity of 450,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a measure of container capacity and rise to 1.2 million TEUs by 2019.
Mombasa, East Africa’s biggest port, expects to handle at least 14 per cent more cargo this year, assisted by its expanded capacity and marketing campaign . The government is also building a second port in Lamu, with a capacity of 23 million tonnes per year.
Source: Mediamax

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