Time taken to move cargo from Mombasa to Malaba drops to eight days

The Kenya Ports Authority’s container terminal. The time taken to move cargo from Mombasa to Malaba to eight days following Kenya’s move to reduce the number of roadblocks and weighbridges on its northern corridor. Photo/FILE 

By Christabel Ligami, Special Correspondent

In Summary

• The time taken to move cargo from Mombasa to Malaba to eight days following Kenya’s move to reduce the number of roadblocks and weighbridges on its northern corridor.
• President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday during the Trilateral Infrastructure Summit in Kigali said that initiatives put in place in August this year have resulted in the reduction in the number of days from 18 when moving cargo from Mombasa to Malaba.

The time taken to move cargo from Mombasa to Malaba to eight days following Kenya’s move to reduce the number of roadblocks and weighbridges on its northern corridor.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday during the Trilateral Infrastructure Summit in Kigali said that initiatives put in place in August this year have resulted in the reduction in the number of days from 18 when moving cargo from Mombasa to Malaba.
 

This, he said, has reduced the cost of doing business, boosted economic growth and scaled up development in the region.

“Cargo loaded at Mombasa is weighed at Mariakani only, while goods loaded at Eldoret are weighed at Malaba only,” said President Kenyatta.

In August this year he directed for immediate digitisation of the clearing process at the port of Mombasa and the modernisation of weighing of cargo at the weighbridges.

He also directed that all the agencies under the Kenya Ports Authority to relocate and operate from the Mombasa port

The Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate (Kephis) and Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) have been implementing the decrees in the past few months since the directive was issued.

“The initiative has facilitated the movement of goods, people and services and provided the impetus to create jobs and opportunities for our people as well as create greater prosperity,” President Kenyatta said.

The President disclosed that Kenya is implementing the final measures necessary for the construction of a new standard gauge railway line which is expected to move more goods by rail, easing congestion on the roads.

“My Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure have recorded significant progress in finalizing financing terms as requested by the EXIM Bank of China,” he said adding that the groundbreaking ceremony for the new standard gauge railway line in Mombasa is expected in November this year.

The modern railway line would connect Mombasa to Kampala, Kigali through to Juba as agreed at the summit.