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Shortly after 8am yesterday, operations at the Likoni crossing channel came to a standstill as Container Ship MSC MV Kotka- the longest ever vessel to call at the Port of Mombasa, majestically maneuvered her way through the calm waters of Kilindini channel.

Aided by two powerful KPA tugboats, the giant vessel gracefully glided towards the berth area where it finally docked on her maiden voyage to the Port of Mombasa.

It is its sheer size that captured everyone’s attention at the Port.

Stretching 318.24 metres long, a length equivalent to three football fields combined, the 42.92 metres wide container ship sailing under Liberian flag occupied both berths 16 and 17.

With a capacity to ship 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), MV Kotka has made history as the longest ever vessel to dock at the port of Mombasa so far.

KPA General Manager for cargo operations Dr Sudi Amani Mwasinago said the arrival of the vessel was a major statement to the whole world about the capacity and capabilities of the Port of Mombasa.

Large vessels

“This is a testimony and a testament. In fact it underscores and underpins what the Port of Mombasa is all about in terms of efficiency and capacity. This ship came from Durban in South Africa. After here it will sail to Abu Dhabi,” explained Mwasinago.

The vessel will be at the port for two and a half days loading some 5,877 containers, which will be loaded by six ship to shore gantry cranes before sailing off to the next port of call.

According to the General Manager who spoke on behalf of KPA Managing Director, arrival of a vessel of such size is a confirmation to shipping lines in that the Mombasa Port now has a capacity to handle extra-ordinarily large vessels.

“What does this portend to the port and the country? First it means we are going to handle more volumes than ever before… in one call we are going to handle 5,877 containers.

This is traffic and revenue for the port. This ship does not just call anywhere.

It only calls those ports that are efficient and have the capacity to handle it and Mombasa is one of them if not the only one in the region,” Mwasinago said while addressing the press at the Port of Mombasa on Thursday morning.

According to the general manager, Port of Mombasa boasts of a draught of -15 meters deep along the tunnel with the same ranging between eight meters to 15 meters up to the container terminal.

Draught or Draft is the depth of the water. . It is measured as the vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest edge of the keel.

Shipping lines

“This also speaks to the economy of the country…Regarding the economics about larger vessels, shipping lines would always want to minimise the cost per unit volume.

This translates to reduced freight rates. These are charges that the shipping line will levy to an importer or exporter. Because of the economies of scale, such ships will have lower freight rate… lower freight rates for an importing economy like Kenya for example means we are going to have lower imports and lower prices to the last person and this then will help the shippers and the importers,” he said noting the advantages of such vessels cascade down to the consumer.

For a port to attract vessels of such size, he said there must be a capacity to handle it including the draught and equipment.