Britain is taking its diplomatic outreach to Mombasa, drawn by the port’s role in handling about 95 per cent of Kenya’s imports, its long-standing security ties with the UK and its appeal to international tourists, High Commissioner Matt Baugh has said.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Friday, Baugh said Mombasa’s influence on trade extends beyond Kenya, with the port serving as a key entry point for goods destined for neighbouring countries.
“Mombasa is Kenya’s gateway into the global trading system,” he said.
“It’s not just a Kenyan asset, it’s a continental asset given the reliance of what comes in through Mombasa,” Baugh said.
He said the city’s established security cooperation with Britain, alongside its popularity among British and other international tourists, made it a suitable location for the initiative.
The British High Commission will hold an open house at Tononoka Hall on Tuesday, October 13, from 3pm to 6pm, bringing together officials working in trade, investment, security, consular and visa services, and the blue economy.
The event is intended to give Kenyans a clearer picture of Britain’s work in the country and create opportunities for direct engagement with communities beyond Nairobi.
Baugh said the initiative would provide a different perspective on the relationship between the two countries, allowing residents to interact with officials from various sections of the High Commission rather than seeing its work through visits by senior diplomats alone.
“It’s trying to demonstrate just a different angle on the relationship, a different visibility, more than just a visit by a single high commissioner,” he said.
The visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss the Port of Mombasa, particularly its operations and the effect of investment on the movement of goods across the region.
Baugh said Britain had invested about £40 million in recent years to improve the port’s cargo-handling capacity, with the aim of reducing delays and paperwork.
He said the time taken to move cargo through the port had dropped from about eight days to one day, while revenue had increased by 140 per cent.
Baugh said improving efficiency at the port was important because its performance affects not only Kenya’s economy but also neighbouring countries that depend on it for access to international markets.
“Mombasa is a strategic, not just national asset; it’s a strategic regional asset, and it needs to work as efficiently as possible because it’s now a global port,” he said.
Beyond trade and security, Baugh said he would use the visit to engage young people and hear their views on the country’s future.
He said understanding their ambitions was essential to conversations about Kenya’s development and the direction its next generation wants the country to take.
“You’ve got to go into the heartbeat of that conversation, which is young people. What are their hopes and aspirations? What is the Kenya they want to fashion?” he said.
The open house will bring together different areas of UK-Kenya cooperation under one roof, giving Mombasa residents an opportunity to learn about the High Commission’s work and engage directly with its representatives.