Mombasa port receives new Chinese vessels

By Patrick Beja          

Mombasa, Kenya: A new Chinese shipping line is set to bring vessels to the port of Mombasa following the deepening and widening of the harbour last year.

The Kenya Ports Authority was last evening set to receive MV City of Beijing on its maiden call from the Cosco Container Lines Company Limited, one of the largest container carriers in the world.

Mr Mahesh Wanigasekera of Rais Shipping Services (Kenya) Limited, the appointed agents for the shipping line yesterday confirmed the coming of the vessel.

This brings the number of shipping lines currently operating at the port to 22.

Cosco operates more than 140 modern container vessels, totaling over 520,000 twenty foot equivalent units (Teus) and plies over 80 international shipping routes.

Mahesh also confirmed that the shipping line will be participating in a joint service with Evergreen shipping line, and X-Press Feeders on Asia East Africa shuttle service known as AEF.

KPA Managing Director Gichiri Ndua welcomed the development attributing it to aggressive marketing efforts initiated by the authority.

“The increased efficiency experienced in Mombasa in the recent past was due to deliberate strategies instituted by the authority in infrastructure and technology,” Mr Ndua said.

Ndua recently led a team of senior managers to China where they held marketing meetings with various shipping lines including Cosco, asking them to call the port, which now has a deeper and longer quay and improved cargo handling efficiency.