Mombasa port has received two new rail-mounted gantry cranes from China to enhance its container handling capacity.Edward Opiyo, KPA’s Head of Container Operations, said the port is building capacity following increment in transshipment of cargo in the regional transportation hub.
“We need to give assurance to all potential customers and port users that we are able and can easily and safely manage cargo that passes through the port of Mombasa,” said Edward.
The cranes are part of six ordered by the Kenya Ports Authority at a cost of US $20.9m to help handle standard gauge railway cargo.According to KPA official the port’s performance is measured by how fast cargo is evacuated through the railway system when it lands and leaves the port.
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It took the Chinese manufacturer 13 months to build the cranes and a month to deliver them. This is according to Julius Tai, the Head of Container Terminal Engineering.
Kenya Port Authority
Established in January 1978 under an Act of Parliament, KPA is mandated to manage and operate the Port of Mombasa and all scheduled seaports along Kenya’s coastline that include Lamu, Malindi, Kilifi, Mtwapa, Kiunga, Shimoni, Funzi and Vanga. In addition, the Authority manages Inland Waterways as well as Inland Container Depots at Embakasi, Eldoret and Kisumu.
The Port of Mombasa is the gateway to East and Central Africa,and is one of the busiest Ports along the East African coastline. The Port provides direct connectivity to over 80 Ports worldwide and is linked to a vast hinterland comprising Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Tanzania, Southern Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia by road.A railway line also runs from the Port to Uganda and Tanzania.The remaining cranes are set to be delivered next month.
