Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has been selected to host the 26th International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference for the first time in Africa next year.

The IAME President Jan Hoffman made the announcement during the official opening of the 25th IAME conference at a hotel in Kyoto, Japan.The theme of this year’s conference is “Maritime Transport Quality in the Evolving World Trade.”

“Next year IAME will hold its annual conference in Mombasa – the first time we meet on the African continent and another reflection of the truly global nature of maritime transport and our association,” said Dr Hoffmann.

The meeting is expected to put Mombasa Port in the international limelight and provide an opportunity to market it the preferred destination for cargo in the region.

The conference comes in the wake of aggressive expansion and modernisation of the port that has also been supported by reforms to improve efficiency.

Nomination of KPA is a win for the port of Mombasa against other six leading ports in Africa among them Port of Durban, Port of Lagos, Port of Abidjan, Suez Canal and Port of Djibouti.

KPA’s Head of Corporate Development Martin Mutuku was co-opted as an IAME council member and is expected to receive the association’s flag as the main sponsor of the 26th event on behalf of the KPA Managing Director Catherine Mturi. KPA is expected to, among others, offer logistical and administrative support for the conference.

Source: Daily Post Kenya

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