MOMBASA, Kenya — The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have signed a joint communiqué outlining new measures to improve efficiency and competitiveness at the Port of Mombasa, East Africa’s busiest maritime hub.
The agreement, signed at KPA Headquarters and witnessed by port stakeholders and economic advisors from the Executive Office of the President, seeks to enhance cargo clearance, promote trade facilitation, and decongest the port through coordinated operational reforms.
KPA Managing Director Capt. William K. Ruto and KRA Commissioner General Dr. Lilian Nyawanda signed the communiqué, committing both institutions to immediate and medium-term interventions targeting faster cargo movement and improved service delivery.
Among the key measures announced is the transfer of long-stay containerized cargo from the port to customs-licensed peripheral facilities for clearance.
Cargo destined for Mombasa will be handled at Container Freight Stations (CFSs), while goods headed to Nairobi and upcountry areas will be railed to the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD). Shipments bound for Uganda will move to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.
To encourage the evacuation of long-stay cargo, KPA and KRA will waive 100pc of accrued storage and warehouse rent for affected importers upon application, valid for 30 days. Shipping lines have also been directed to waive container detention and demurrage charges during the clearance window.
KRA will additionally identify cargo qualifying for auction and maintain public gazettement to allow importers time to clear consignments before disposal. Cargo approved for destruction will be moved to licensed destruction sites.
In a further effort to streamline operations, all container interventions by government agencies will be conducted outside the port in compliance with the directive on multi-agency collaboration, with all interventions required to be resolved within five days. KRA will also implement the Pre-Arrival Processing (PAP) system to fast-track clearance.
Importers are encouraged to nominate CFSs of their choice; failing this, KPA will assign their consignments to nearby facilities. The communiqué also exempts cargo under the Single Customs Territory (SCT) regime from certain electronic sealing procedures, except where risk assessments dictate otherwise.
Both agencies emphasized that the new measures aim to reduce congestion, lower logistical costs, and position Mombasa as the region’s preferred port of choice.
“In the medium term, the government will align policy and digitization initiatives to enhance long-term port efficiency,” the communiqué read, underscoring Kenya’s commitment to boosting trade competitiveness across the Northern Corridor.
