Cargo firms blamed for pile-up at depot

Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives inspect goods during a tour of the Nairobi Inland Container Depot to assess the cargo clearance process last month. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The companies that import goods on behalf of small-scale traders are now coming into focus as delays continue to mar cargo clearance at Nairobi’s Inland Container Depot (ICD).

Referred to as consolidators, the firms are now being blamed for failing to clear their cargo despite a process to fast-track clearance of goods that had been held at the depot on concerns that they had not met required quality.