Kenya Woos Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan to Mombasa Port
The implementation of end-to-end logistics services by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is proving successful, with three East African nations expressing their support and acknowledging it as a transformative development for the region.
To provide clients with doorstep delivery and eliminate excessive charges and delays imposed by intermediaries, KPA has introduced comprehensive end-to-end logistics services that cover procurement, distribution, transportation, and final delivery.
Uganda, South Sudan, and Rwanda have expressed support for the concept, potentially leading to an increased preference among landlocked nations for the Mombasa port. This aligns with the country’s goal to establish the facility as the central hub in the region and outperform competitors in neighboring nations.
KPA Managing Director William Ruto previously clarified that the plan focuses on transit markets, with the goal of lowering shipping expenses and excluding intermediaries.
Following the execution of the plan, the transportation duration at the Port of Mombasa will be reduced by eliminating local clearing agents. These agents had expressed concerns that the implementation of comprehensive logistics services would make their roles obsolete.
Despite facing opposition, the organization intends to reissue the tender for service provision. Jones Buchere, the Acting Manager for Corporate Communication at KPA, disclosed that the company is putting in extra effort to maintain its position as the market leader and foster business expansion.
“Several initiatives have been adopted including tariff-based incentives, increase of free-storage period and end-to-end logistics solutions to offer a one-stop service,” Buchere told a local publication on Saturday.
Subsequently, following a visit by a senior Rwandese government official to Kenya, which is perceived as exploratory, the country is evaluating its logistics alternatives.
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Officials responsible for transportation from Uganda and South Sudan have also held discussions with their counterparts from Kenya. These meetings predominantly revolved around a similar theme.
On Saturday, February 17, James Kabarebe, the former general and current Minister of State for Foreign Affairs overseeing Regional Cooperation in the Republic of Rwanda, visited the Nairobi Terminus.
“He viewed dispatch operations which include signaling of trains, loading and offloading at the Port, the safety of train operations through the systems, and planning of track maintenance work,” Kenya Railways communicated in a statement.
In January, Kipchumba Murkomen, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, encouraged Rwanda to expand its activities at the Port of Mombasa. He emphasized that with the port operating 24 hours a day, it has the capacity to accommodate increased engagement from neighboring regional partners.
“I urge government agencies and other service providers to take advantage of the 24-hour services at the Port to improve service delivery,” Murkomen remarked.
During the meeting with the CS, Rwanda indicated that it had selected the Naivasha Dry Port to set up a cargo facility in Kenya, a move designed to facilitate the transportation of goods between the two countries.
Kenya Woos Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan to Mombasa Port