KPA repositioning port of Mombasa for greater efficiency

HUSSEIN ABDULLAHI -KNA

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Chief Executive Officer Captain William Ruto, has confirmed plans by the Authority to repo sition the port of Mombasa for greater efficiency, investment and economic growth.

Ruto said reforms anchored in infrastructure upgrades, digital trans formation and regulatory restructuring continue to revitalize port operations for enhanced revenue gene ration and trade facilitation.

The Port of Mombasa is the premier maritime gateway to East and Central Africa serving as a critical trade lifeline that connects over 80 global ports to a vast landlocked hinterland.

The port links interna tional shipping lines to millions of people and is the starting point of the Northern Corridor that links Kenya‘s coast to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.

Ruto was speaking in his office when he received Hapag-Lloyd Shipping Line Managing Director for East Africa Altamush Ahmed. The KPA CEO said Hapa g-Lloyd Shipping Line and the KPA have pledged to strengthen collaboration and build on gains, in stre amlining operations at the Port of Mombasa and the wider shipping across the maritime industry.

He said KPA operates key digital infrastructure at the Port of Mombasa such as the Sh1 billion Vessel Traffic Management and Informa tion System launched in July 2026.

“This new digital plat form automates ship trac king, radar surveillance, and marine communicati ons to streamline maritime traffic,” he said.

The comprehensive digi talization initiative seeks to enhance port efficiency, transparency, and data--driven decision-making across the port zones in Mombasa, Lamu and Kisumu.

Ruto said KPA is imple menting various capacity enhancing initiatives that will not only support the growing business but also create opportunities for shi pping lines to also expand. 

Ruto said significant pro gress has been made on key infrastructure projects, including the construction of Berth 19B which is currently at 40 percent completion, the development of Dongo Kundu Berth One, and the upgrading of the terminal operating system.

Berth 19B is a Sh19 billion quay extension project at the Port of Mombasa and adds 240 meters of quay length with a 15-meter draft to handle vessels up to 45,000 deadweight tonnage, boosting annual capacity by 300,000 twen ty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Maritime stakeholders contend that this new capability addresses the operational need of larger ships calling on Mombasa that require deeper drafts and longer berthing spaces to turn around efficiently.

“KPA is seeking to comprehensively overhaul ageing quay walls, deepen navigational channels and fully automate terminal infrastructure across all port locations,” he said adding that the move seeks to reduce vessel turnaround times and significantly improve cargo-handling efficiency.

He said to resolve ope rational bottlenecks KPA is pushing ahead with ‘Smart Gates Project’ describing it as a key innovation that will ease traffic congestion around the port and accele rate cargo evacuation.

The Smart Gates Project by KPA is a technology--driven initiative designed to automate cargo and vehicle access, curb manual processes, and speed up truck turn-around times at facilities like the Port of Mombasa and the Nairobi Inland Container Depot.

Ruto said the Dongo Kundu Berth one is a major upcoming multipurpose port facility planned for the South Coast side of the Port of Mombasa within the 3,000-acre Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Likoni Sub--County.

The new Dongo Kundu Berth One estimated at Sh18 billion, seeks to boost regional manufacturing, logistics, and trade.