A portion of Mombasa port’s second container terminal will be ready for use from next month in a raft of measures lined up by the government to improve efficiency at its external trade facilities.
Transport PS Irungu Nyakera said the construction of the first phase of the second container terminal would be completed by end of March, easing current congestion problem.
When the entire second container terminal with a capacity of 550,000 twenty-foot equivalent units is completed, the port’s capacity will go up to 1.7 million units, said Mr Nyakera.
The government, he added, has also earmarked Sh9 billion for the Lamu port project part of has been spent on compensating landowners, mobilisation of contractors and the construction of port offices.
Other funds have gone to various maritime studies and the financing of the building of Berth 1. The PS said the Ministry of Transport was seeking additional funds from the Treasury to finance the construction of two more berths at the Lamu port.
“We expect the Lamu port’s first berth construction to be completed in 2018. When the Lamu project is completed it will boost port services in the region as the facility will be much bigger than the Mombasa port,” he said.
As for the management vacuum at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Mr Nyakera said a new managing director would be appointed in the next three months.
Last month, Transport Cabinet secretary James Macharia cancelled the process of hiring replacement of former managing director Lucy Mbugua citing interference.
He ordered a fresh recruitment to be undertaken by a professional firm. Mr Nyakera said hiring process would begin soon.
“There was nothing wrong with the CS calling off the recruitment of a KAA chief executive if the process had been interfered with,” he said.
Since last year, Mr Yatich Kangugo, who was previously the manager at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, took charge as KAA managing director in an acting capacity.
Mr Nyakera said Mr Kangugo is eligible to participate in the recruitment with other applicants since he is experienced in aviation matters.
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