Mombasa port operations will not be interrupted during polls

A Cargo Vessel offloads its cargo to waiting Trucks from berth no one at the port of Mombasa in Mombasa County on March 25, 2022. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

The government will ensure operations at Mombasa port are not interrupted even as the country goes to the polls today.

In a statement, Mombasa Port and Northern Corridor Community Charter (MPCCC) chairman Gilbert Langat said the government has assured them of the safety of workers and clients at the Port of Mombasa and the Northern Corridor, before, during, and after the elections.

MPCCC, established on June 30, 2014, is a multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism that ensures a collective approach toward transforming the Port of Mombasa and the Northern Corridor into an efficient, reliable, and globally competitive trade and transport corridor.

It brings together the Mombasa Port and Northern Corridor business community that includes cargo interveners and inspectors, logistics service providers, shippers, tradeand commerce associations.

Mr Langat said they are confident that business, through the Port of Mombasa and the Northern Corridor to the hinterland, will continue uninterrupted during this period.

"I would like to bring to the attention of port users of the government assurance that it will ensure activities at the port are not affected in any way," said Langat adding; "We are also appealing to the public to exercise their democratic right responsibly. Vote peacefully and restrain from activities that could compromise smooth movement of goods and services along the Northern transport corridor or compromise the general security of the region."

Langat urged the government to set up a standby security team and enhance surveillance along the corridor, especially in areas that are said to have some security challenges.

"Kenya Ports Authority and cargo intervenors have committed to sustaining operations at the port around the clock as has been the case. All signatories to the MPNCCC are aware of the importance of Mombasa Port and the corridor to international trade and that is why we are making efforts to ensure no interference," he said.

Despite an earlier prediction of a significant slowdown in business in the first quarter of 2022, the port remained the preferred gateway to the East and Central African region. It is also listed among the top five ports in Africa.

"We also thank the government for the ongoing infrastructure development and expansion of the port. The most significant one is the construction of the second container terminal which has seen the port's annual capacity increase to 2.1 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs)," Langat said.