Mombasa's planned new cargo taxes anger State, shippers

Proposals by a local authority to impose new taxes on cargo at Kenya’s main port has drawn opposition from the Government and shippers, who say it will hike import prices and make the East African trade hub less competitive.

The Government, keen to ward off emerging competition from regional rivals, has been striving to improve efficiency at the Mombasa port, the congested gateway that serves Kenya and landlocked states such as South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda.