• Captain Ruto said here has been a positive trajectory in container traffic performance for the last three months.
• During the period of January to May 2023, the port recorded 643,889 TEUs compared to 595,319 TEUs recorded in the corresponding period in 2022.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
@Yobramos4
The Kenya Ports Authority will Saturday receive five new harbour mobile cranes to improve the port’s performance amid record numbers registered in May.
KPA managing director Captain William Ruto said three of the cranes will be deployed in the Lamu port signalling a readiness to handle more cargo.
The other two, he said, will be deployed at the Mombasa port.
This comes as the Mombasa port registered 146,936 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in May, a record container traffic for a single month.
In May 2022, the port registered 118,765 TEUs. This means this year the numbers for May improved by 19.5 per cent.
Captain Ruto said here has been a positive trajectory in container traffic performance for the last three months.
In March, there were 132,119 TEUs compared to March 2022’s performance of 112,245 TEUs.
April registered 138,373 TEUs compared to the 121,249 TEUs handled in corresponding month last year.
During the period of January to May 2023, the port recorded 643,889 TEUs compared to 595,319 TEUs recorded in the corresponding period in 2022.
This is an increase of 48,570 TEUs or 8.2 per cent.
“This performance has surpassed the set target by 23,170 TEUs or 3.7 per cent, implying that the Port of Mombasa is likely to realise an annual container traffic of 1.48 million TEUs by the close of the year,” the KPA boss announced.
Captain Ruto also said the average container dwell time over the last three months has improved to 3.5 days down from 4 days.
“The berth working time improved from an average 2.6 days to 1.7 days while the average gross moves per ship per hour increased to 36 from 34,” Ruto said.
This comes days after port users and other stakeholders called for more active use of the Lamu port and increasing the connecting infrastructure around it.
The Lamu port, Kenya Ships Agents Association chairperson Sylvester Kututa said, will catapult Kenya back into the lead in terms of preferred ports in the region, staving off competition from the Port of Dar es Salaam.
On Thursday, Captain Ruto said the three harbour mobile cranes that will be deployed in Lamu will enhance efficiency to unprecedented levels, a move that was welcomed by Kututa.
“We still believe in the project (Lamu port). Obviously, connectivity in and out of Lamu for imports and exports remains a challenge because of low connectivity,” Kututa said.
He said the long routes to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia and lack of cargo coming in from the hinterland should be addressed quickly.
“Once we get the infrastructure sorted out, we will be king in our operations,” Kututa said.
On Monday, the port users and stakeholders at the Trade Facilitation and Maritime Investment Workshop in Mombasa said on and off delays in cargo delays experienced at the Mombasa port over the past few years have had a significant impact on trade.
However, they said there has been continuous improvement in dwell time.
For instance, they said, in 2021, the ship dwell time was 4.3 days, an improvement from 2020 which was 4.4 days.
And with the 3.5 average dwell time recorded over the last three months, the Mombasa port is well on its way to the summit of the list of preferred ports in the region.
Captain Ruto also noted that four ship-to-shore gantry cranes are expected in July this year to replace the old ones that are being scrapped.
“The four gantries are more robust and powerful with capacity to lift two containers at once as opposed to the old single lift cranes,” the KPA boss said.
This, he noted, will ensure the port has more reliable equipment to enhance ship operations and further reduce ship turnaround time.
KPA general manager cargo operations Sudi Mwasinago attributed the improved performance to the deployment new yard equipment at the container terminals.
In December 2022, the authority acquired 12 new reach stackers and nine new empty container handlers.
They started operating in January this year.
Mwasinago said the completion of the second phase of the second container terminal has also increased the Mombasa port capacity by an additional 450,000TEUs, giving room for better ship and yard planning to enhance efficiency.
“The Port of Mombasa currently has a capacity to handle 2.1 million TEUs and so far it has been able to handle slightly less than 1.5 million TEUs annually,” Mwasinago said.
Kututa said the entry of a new and enthusiastic management at the port has also shaken things up and boosted the morale of workers.
“This cannot be overlooked,” he said.
Captain Ruto was appointed as the KPA managing director on March 10.
In his inaugural speech, he urged the staff to embrace customer care, dedication to hard work and discipline as the keys to improving port performance.
He promised to improve cargo traffic through the port by enhanced marketing efforts and improved customer satisfaction.