Three Kenyan ports register huge strides in cargo handling as the government steps in to ensure efficiency for competitiveness in regional and global trade.
by Blue Africa News
Cargo handling volumes rose significantly at three Kenyan ports over the past year, largely due to planned and ongoing development initiatives, according to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto said in media address while releasing KPA’s performance outlook for 2025 on Thursday (January 29) that cargo volumes through the Port of Mombasa hit a record 45.45 million metric tons for the period January to December 2025, a 10.9% increase, or 4.46 million metric tons compared to 2024 when the port handled 40.99 million metric tons.
Significant growth, he said, was attained in container traffic, reaching a total of 2.11 million (twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), against 2.00 million TEUs in 2024, a 5.5% growth rate.
Similarly, transit cargo was on an upward trajectory after posting 15.88 million tons. In 2024, transit cargo at the Mombasa port hit 13.29 million tons, translating into 2.59 million metric tons or 19.5% growth within a year.
Besides Mombasa, Lamu and Kisumu ports posted impressive figures, with Lamu being ranked as the highest improved. Lamu, the MD noted, handled 799,161 metric tons of cargo against 74,380 metric tons recorded the previous year, mostly driven by containerised cargo, supported by 55,687 TEUs total container traffic.
“With more shipping lines introducing regular services at Lamu, this is a promise for more cargo volumes through the port in the subsequent years,” said the MD.
The Kisumu port was not left behind as the lakeside port registered positive figures of its own. It processed 496,516 metric tons in 2025, compared to 295,516 metric tons the previous year, accounting for a 55% growth.
Ruto confirmed that KPA is further developing infrastructure to meet rising demand, especially at the Port of Mombasa. There’s an ongoing expansion of berths and yard space including berth 19B, 23 and 24 among other ongoing projects, with a view of creating an additional capacity of 1.4 million TEUs.
KPA is also upgrading the Port’s terminal operating system with the project currently at 40%, while acquisition and modernisation of equipment is at an advanced implementation stage.
The progress at KPA is being closely monitored by the Kenyan government. According to Lee Kinyanjui, the minister in charge of investment, trade, and industry, further efforts are being made to enhance efficiency at Mombasa Port as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Kenya’s competitiveness in regional and global trade.
Lee Kinyanjui, Kenya’s minister of investment, trade, and industry during a meeting with port stakeholders in Mombasa on January 29 2026. Photo courtesy: Kenya Ports Authority
“An efficient port is a critical enabler of trade and industry. More than 80% of Kenya’s exports and imports are transported by sea,” said Kinyanjui during a meeting with Ruto and other stakeholders on January 29. “Improving operational efficiency and managing costs at the ports of Mombasa and Lamu will help secure a strong market advantage for the country.”
He urged Kenyan exporters to take advantage of opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), stating that tea and coffee are among Kenya’s commodities that can be scaled up for regional markets.
“The government is strengthening cold chain logistics, including the use of the Naivasha inland container depot as a green channel for perishables, and promoting direct shipping solutions to ensure faster movement of agricultural exports to international markets,” added the minister.
Figures on the performance of the Kenyan ports are expected to have a huge bearing on the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) report, expected to be released in the course of this year.
In 2024, Egypt’s Port Said and Morocco’s Tanger Med were been ranked Africa’s top-performing ports, placing 3rd and 5th globally respectively, while in Sub-Sahara Africa, Senegal’s Port of Dakar secured position 108th globally with a score of 23, marking an improvement of more than 100 places compared to 2023.
CPPI ranked over 400 container ports globally. Somalia’s Mogadishu t was ranked among the top 10 in Africa, and 163rd globally, ahead of Madagascar’s Toamasina (177), and Sierra Leone’s Freetown (216).
Mozambique’s Beira was ranked 292nd, ahead of the country’s ports – Maputo and Nacala, while Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam, the port of Djibouti and Kenya’s Port of Mombasa were ranked 360th, 364th and 375th respectively.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News