Watchdogs approve mega freight station near airport

Two agencies have approved the construction of a multi-billion shillings Container Freight Station (CFS) near the Moi International Airport, saying the project meets aviation requirements, including air navigation safety.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) cleared the Changamwe-based Great Lakes Port CFS Limited to set up the facility.

Documents from the two agencies state that the freight station met conditions, among them construction of a collapsible fence to demarcate the approach funnel (the path an aircraft follows as it prepares to land) located 200 metres from the fence.

The technical report signed by KCAA’s chief ground operation manager Peter Munyao  required Great Lakes to put up a white light system with non-glaring qualities to avoid confusing pilots landing at the airport.

“The maximum allowable height for the containers and buildings shall be of not more than 17 metres. If there is any use of cranes for lifting the containers, they should also be of not more than 17 metres,” the technical report reads.

Nema requirements included adherence to Occupational Safety and  Health Act 2007, prevention of pollution and ecological deterioration such as oil and water interceptor, dust prevention and designing and construction of storm water drainage system among others.

On Thursday, Mr Jaryman Akida, the CFS’ terminal manager told Business Daily they have set aside two acres of land within the collapsible fence surrounding the CFS and the requirement of maximum allowable height of 17 metres for containers and buildings.

“The two acres will be for motor vehicles yard and the rest of 14 acres of land will be used to set up a yard for containers.

The two yards will be more than 150 metres apart,’’ he said.

Mr Akida said Sh1.5 billion has been spent and more will be used to construct the state-of-the-art CFS which will become first in the country to be linked with railway line for effective transportation of containers from the port of Mombasa to different destinations in the country and also Uganda.

The Kenya Railway Corporation has cleared the company to use its railway line and, according to Mr Akida, millions of shillings have been spent to connect the rail to the facility.

He said  Uganda issued them with licence to receive and transport cargo imported through the port of Mombasa  and feed into the inland dry port at Tororo.

“This will significantly increase sea-borne traffic and promote business opportunities and profitability in Uganda and the Great Lakes region as a whole,” he said

“This is the first stat-of-the-art CFS in the country and we have complied with conditions set by the government,” he said.

The Kenya Revenue Authority wanted the CFS to have a container verification shed within the storage yard built on 14 acres of land projected to handle 5,000 containers. The container yard located about 100 metres away from the motor vehicle yard will also have a weighbridge to help transporters carry the stipulated load limits for consignments destined for upcountry and neighbouring countries.