Three Ship to Shore Gantry Cranes are received by the Kenya Ports Authority for the second container terminal at the Port of Mombasa on January 1, 2022. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NMG
A report by the World Bank shows that Dar es Salaam, Djibouti and Berbera ports toppled the Mombasa port in rankings that indicate the most efficient such facilities around the world.
In the third edition of the global Container Port Performance Index, Mombasa Port came in at position 326 in 2022 out of the 348 ports worldwide that were assessed, having lost ground from 296 a year ago.
The drop saw Mombasa perform badly compared to its regional peers in eastern Africa, who are spending billions to modernise and attract businesses to their shores.
For instance, the Tanzanian port recorded improvement from the 2021 ranking to stand at position 312 from 361 previously, placing it 14 places ahead of Kenya.
The index ranks the ports based on efficiency, measured by the time taken between when a ship reaches a port to its departure having completed its cargo exchange.
The fact that Kenya’s main port recorded a steep decline from the 2021 report where it was placed at position 296 should concern the new management of the Kenya Ports Authority and the Ministry of Transport.
The World Bank notes that efficient operation of the port is key to the development of trade in the region and the ranking should be a wake-up call for Kenya to make its port better.
Investors are looking at ease of doing business in making decisions on where to put their money on the continent. It makes no sense to bring in your goods so fast and then fail to get them to their destination on time.
