- There was no empty TEU recorded in May
- KPA acting MD Rashid Salim said the depot is doing well
Image: COURTESY
The amount of cargo moved through the Naivasha Inland Container Depot has improved significantly in the last three months, the latest statistics show.
The statistics in our possession show that a total of 3,642 TEUs have been moved since May.
By May 20, a total of 714 TEUs were moved, 1,611 by June 20, 1,317 by July 20.
On May 20, some 686 import TEUs had been moved through the depot. This increased to 1,559 import TEUs on June 20.
On July 20, some 1,212 imports TEUs were moved, bringing a total import TEUs to 3,457.
The number of trains for imports increased from nine on May 20 to 15 by June 20.
On July 20, the import trains were 12, bring to total import trains to 36.
The statistics export TEUs had increased from 28 on May 20 to 42 on June 20.
By July 20, there were 89 export TEUs, bringing the total number of export TEUs to 159.
By May, there was no empty TEU recorded.
There were 10 TEUs recorded on June 20, before another 16 empty ones were recorded on July 20, bringing to a total of 26 empty TEUs.
There were two export trains by May 20, before increasing to four June 20 and five July 20, bringing to a total of 11 export trains.
The statistics show that 160 TEUs had been delivered by trucks by May 20.
It also shows that 896 TEUs had been delivered by trucks by June 20 and another 1,145 by July 20, bringing to a total of 2,201 TEUs.
KPA acting MD Rashid Salim said the depot is doing well.
“We will continue advertising it so that those who are willing to use the depot can seize the opportunity,” Salim said.
The depot is meant to reduce congestion at Nairobi ICD and Mombasa port by reducing the number of trucks on the roads and facilitate seamless transshipment of goods to neighbouring countries.
The facility with the capacity to hold two million tonnes of cargo annually was handed over to the government on May 7.
The contractor - China Communications Construction Company Limited - handed over the project.
The Sh6.9 billion facility is established on over 1,000 acres.
The Chinese company will, however, remain liable for the project until May 6, 2021, under the defects notification period.
On May 22, Transport CS James Macharia announced that all cargo destined for EAC member states of Uganda, Rwanda, northern Tanzania and South Sudan will be transported directly to the facility in record time from the Mombasa port.
The move was however not received well by transporters.
The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa challenged the government to address outstanding issues at the depot or risk losing trade to Tanzania.
Council CEO Gilbert Langat told the Star on the phone that the implementation of a directive to move transit cargo through SGR must be well thought.
“We need to develop the internal capacity first before pushing the whole issue to neighbouring countries that may get frustrated and go to Tanzania,” Langat said.
The council is a business membership organization that represents the interests of importers and exporters in Kenya and the Eastern Africa region.
It provides a platform to articulate their concerns and demands to service providers and government regulatory institutions.