Cargo movement at Kisumu port recorded a sharp rise last year, with volumes increasing by almost half, according to data from the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
The port handled 496,516 tonnes of cargo in 2025, up from 333,431 tonnes in 2024, representing a 49.91 percent growth. Patrick Makau, Kisumu Port Cargo Services Manager, credited the surge to stronger trade links with Kenya’s East African Community neighbours.
“With sustained investment and stronger partnerships, this port will redefine lake trade. The surge in exports to our neighbours is clear proof that Kisumu is rising again as we begin to unlock Kisumu’s full potential," he said.
Kisumu port has long been a key gateway for trade with Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and other Great Lakes countries.
Since 2019, it has undergone major upgrades, including concreting the port yard, building a new quayside, repairing the linkspan, revamping the dry dock, and rehabilitating all port buildings.
These improvements have addressed decades of challenges caused by deteriorating railway links, invasive water hyacinth, and long-standing boundary disputes that had weakened the port’s operations.
To complement the main port’s revival, five smaller ports around Lake Victoria—Sio Pier, Port Victoria, Asembo Bay, Kendu Bay, and Homa Bay—are set for upgrades under a joint initiative by KPA and Trade Mark East Africa.
The goal is to strengthen lake trade and ease transport of goods between the main port and these satellite landing sites.
The rehabilitated landing sites are expected to improve mobility for local communities, providing faster access via small roll-on, roll-off vessels or barges that can carry vehicles, trucks, and other wheeled cargo. Currently, many lakeside communities rely on long road trips for transport, which could be more efficiently handled via Lake Victoria.
Further growth at Kisumu port is expected with the planned construction of a 263.7-kilometre standard gauge railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Kisumu. The proposed Phase 2B of the SGR project will pass through Narok, Bomet, Sotik, Sondu, and Ahero before reaching Kisumu and will include an eight-kilometre branch line directly linking the railway to the port.
These strategic upgrades position Kisumu port to become a central hub for regional trade, unlocking economic opportunities for Kenya and its neighbours while transforming lake transport into a competitive alternative to road freight.
