The time frame for free storage of transit cargo has been extended by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
In an address to KPA stakeholders in Kampala, Betty Mkonyi, the KPA Country Representative for Uganda, announced that in addition to completing the new container terminal and investing in cutting-edge machinery to boost capacity and meet the growing demand, they have extended the free storage period for transit cargo from nine to fifteen days.
Mkonyi claims that this implies that containers that remain over 21 days beyond the first 15 days will be charged $30 for a 20-foot container and $60 for a 40-foot container.
Each 20-foot container would cost $45 after 21 days, and each 40-foot container would cost $90.
One of the top ten ports in Africa, Mombasa Port serves as a major center for travel to the Far East, Western Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
While the historic port benefits from a strategic location over major waterways such as the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian oceans, as well as important global trade routes, it has not yet reached its full potential despite a number of initiatives aimed at expanding it.
To connect to the port via land, sea, and rail transportation, the Kenyan government is making significant investments in a multimodal infrastructure network in collaboration with its Northern Corridor partners.
The increased professionalism and effectiveness of KPA, according to Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) George Owinow, are contributing to the expansion of trade in the Great Lakes Region.
According to Owinow, the KPA should be commended for the amount of work they have done to improve Mombasa’s port and its ancillary facilities in order to increase operational quality and efficiency and promote improved trade along the Northern Corridor.
He said, “I want to commend you for that because Mombasa Port is vital for the efficient operation of the Northern Corridor because of its connectivity with the rest of the world, all the way up to Uganda, Rwanda, the DR Congo, and South Sudan.”
Additionally, he expressed gratitude to the respective governments for their collaboration in building the infrastructure network along the Corridor and expanding it to include water, rail, and road transportation.
A number of initiatives have been put in place by the Kenyan government in recent months to increase productivity at the Port of Mombasa.
One such initiative is a directive issued by President William Samoei Ruto requiring the port to run around the clock in accordance with all government agencies and cargo handlers.
With a 24 percent market share, Uganda is the second-largest user of Mombasa Port, behind Kenya.
About 80 percent of Uganda’s imports and exports pass through Mombasa, which processes a total of 6 million metric tons of cargo each year that is headed for the country.
Ten percent goes through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; the remaining amount goes through other ports and Entebbe Airport. Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are additional travel destinations.