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The number of containers handled at the port of Mombasa this year is expected to surpass 1.4 million after the port crossed the one million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) mark last month.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) says that the harbour crossed the one million mark on September 16. Latest performance report shows the port recorded increased cargo growth of 2,090,024 tonnes during the period between January and September this year compared to the same period last year.

This is after handling some 25,447,872 tonnes of cargo against 23,357,848 tonnes in the same period last year and which translates to 8.9 per cent growth.

With regards to cargo by category, containerised cargo, conventional cargo and liquid bulk improved by 24.3 per cent, 5.6 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively. Tea commodity market has experienced an upsurge from last year with exports recording volume increases of 171,692 tonnes or 86.1 per cent.

The performance report, on the other hand, shows that dry bulk cargo underperformed by 743,941 tonnes or 11.1 per cent. This was mainly due to decline in the importation of clinker by 625,353 tonnes or 17.7 per cent.

Container Traffic

KPA managing director Daniel Manduku attributes the growth to increased efficiency and performance-based management system. He further associates the achievement with the allocation of optimum equipment, inspired human resource and close supervision.

“We promise our customers that we shall continuously monitor and effectively ensure that this performance is surpassed in the coming days,” he says. During the period under review, container traffic grew by 102,311 TEUs or 10.7 per cent.

“During January–September 2019, container traffic registered 1,059,879 TEUs in 2019 against 957,568 TEUs recorded in 2018,” the report adds.

Transshipment traffic grew its market share by 136.8 per cent from 791,257 tonness in the period January –September 2018 to 1,873,772 tonness in the corresponding period this year.

Latest traffic forecast indicates Total Cargo Throughput will rise from 30.923 million tonness in 2018, to 41.7 million tonnes in 2022, while container traffic forecast is projected to move from 1,303,862 million TEUs in 2018 to 1.6 million TEUs in 2022.

At the same time, the Second Container Terminal handled 41,976 TEUs during the month under review. This represents 34.6 per cent of the total container traffic handled at the Port with an average of 38 gross moves per hour for the two berths.

During the period January – September 2018/19, the Second Container Terminal handled 381,288TEUs, which is equivalent to 36.0 per cent of the total container traffic handled in the port.

The terminal served 160 vessels with average gross moves per hour of 30 for the two berths. Some 52 vessels were served at berth 20 at an average of seven gross moves per hour. During the same period, 116 vessels docked at Berth 21 with average of 45 gross moves per hour registering 346,885 TEUs.