- He attributed this performance to improved managerial systems, dedicated workers and good relations with stakeholders
- Transshipment traffic for the period January to November this year recorded 197,272 TEUs up from 105,333 TEUs registered in 2018
The port of Mombasa on Sunday hit an all-time high container handling capacity of 1.4 million Total Equivalent Units (TEUs) beating its last year’s record of 1.3 million TEUs.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director Daniel Manduku said they had set a target of handling 1.35 TEUs for 2019.
However, due to improved efficiency and performance, they surpassed their own target by 50,000 containers.
“I am pleased to inform you that the port has this year recorded 1.4 million TEUs which is the best performance ever, surpassing a target of 1.35 million TEUs that had been set at the beginning of the year by 50,000 TEUs or 3.7 percent,” said Manduku.
Speaking during a press conference at the port of Mombasa on Monday, Manduku said the 1.4 millionth container was handled at 1500 hours on Sunday.
“By 1500 hours Sunday, we had 1,400,020 TEUs. We, therefore, expect to handle more between today and Tuesday midnight when the year ends. We are hopeful that by the time we close the year on, we shall have handled about 1.415 TEUS,” said Manduku.
The MD, who has been at the helm of KPA for one year now, said the attainment of 1.4 million TEUs represents a growth of 7.3 per cent over last year’s 1.304 million TEUs, an increase of 97,000 TEUs.
“Our target for next year will be 1.5 million TEUs and we are hopeful to beat that record,” he said.
He attributed this performance to improved managerial systems, dedicated workers and good relations with stakeholders.
“Quick evacuation of cargo by Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to our Inland Container Depot in Nairobi has also helped to eradicate yard congestion allowing better operations planning,” he said.
Manduku added that this year’s performance was also boosted by unprecedented growth in both transit and transshipment business.
He said transshipment traffic for the period January to November this year recorded 197,272 TEUs up from 105,333 TEUs registered in the same period of 2018.
“This represents a growth of 87.3 percent which is the highest performance at the Port of Mombasa and as it stands, we expect to handle over 200,000 TEUs of Transshipment cargo by the end of the year,” he said.
He added that the provision of adequate yard space particularly after the construction of the second Container Terminal, streamlining of the handling process with cargo interveners and marketing efforts they have done with shipping lines contributed to the high performance of the Transshipment sector.