New berth to ease congestion at Port of Mombasa

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is expanding infrastructure at the Port of Mombasa to accommodate growing cargo volumes and improve efficiency at East Africa's busiest seaport.

A key project underway is the construction of Berth 19B, a 240-metre quay extension designed to handle larger container vessels with deeper drafts. The berth will have a draft of 15 metres and will be capable of accommodating ships of up to 45,000 deadweight tonnage.

Once completed, the facility is expected to add an annual handling capacity of 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), helping ease congestion, reduce vessel turnaround times, and improve cargo movement through the port.

The project also includes dredging works, expansion of container yards, and the development of supporting infrastructure to integrate with existing terminal operations.

Kenya Ports Authority said the development is part of efforts to strengthen the Port of Mombasa's role as a regional trade and logistics hub.

"KPA is investing in port infrastructure ahead of demand to reinforce the Port of Mombasa's position as the region's preferred logistics and trade hub," the authority said.

The Port of Mombasa is one of the largest and busiest Port in the East and Central African region, providing direct connectivity to over 80 Ports worldwide. It is linked to a vast hinterland comprising Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Tanzania, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia connected through a multi-modal transport system.

The Port has 22 berths divided between conventional cargo and container terminals. It also operates a modern cruise terminal for handling cruise vessels.

Mombasa is currently served by two container terminals with an annual total capacity of 2.3 million TEUs. Additional infrastructure, including the construction of Berth 23/19B will further increase the capacity of the Port to 3.1 million TEUs.

The Port operates specialized and Multipurpose Terminals in the handling of various cargo. The Port has dedicated berth facilities for handling bulk grains, soda ash, clinker, titanium, and petroleum products. This includes the Kipevu Oil Terminal, Shimanzi Oil Terminal, Mbaraki Wharf.