Kisumu port pushes to become a regional hub, support trade

By JACKSON OKOTH

KISUMU, KENYA: A stakeholders meeting is scheduled to take place in Kisumu to discuss how to utilise the town’s port facilities and turn it into a logistical hub for the region.

The idea is to end the perennial cargo pile up that happens around this time of the year at the port of Mombasa, East Africa’s busiest entry port. It is also a sure way to open up Kisumu as a logistics hub for the East African region.

“The Port of Kisumu is most ideal to offload Mombasa and the most strategic to feed Jinja, Mwanza in Tanzania, Entebbe in Uganda and Muhoma Bay in Rwanda” said William Ojonyo, Managing Director of Keynote Logistics Limited. “We need to brainstorm on how on open up the internal container depot here, use the MV Uhuru Cargo ship and make use of the Kisumu pier,” he added.

While the old railway built in 1901 by the colonial British Government connected Mombasa port to Kisumu, neglect of this communication line has led to frequent congestion at the Mombasa port. “The Kisumu County administration is keen to promote the port facilities here to ease congestion in Mombasa as well as provide a shorter and cheaper export route for nations in the Great Lakes region, using Lake Victoria,” said Dr Kennedy Hongo-Chief of staff, Kisumu County. At present, there are several internal container depots in Nairobi, Kisumu and Malaba. However, these facilities are not fully utilised due to a railway network that is slow and inefficient.

STANDARD GAUGE

Construction of the new standard gauge railway line will ensure that cargo meant for neighbouring countries, leaves the port of Mombasa immediately for transport to either Malaba or Kisumu. The inland container depot in Kisumu is in Kibos on the shores of Lake Victoria.

This facility is linked to the Port of Mombasa by railtainer service and occupies 17.5 hectares of land with a stacking area designed to accommodate a throughput of 15,000 TEUs per annum.

The Kisumu Lake Port has the potential to generate substantial revenue due to its strategic position within the East African Community. The port handles an average of 16 vessels (ferries) per month.

Currently, the port is faced with a serious challenge arising from the proliferation of water hyacinth, a waterweed that impedes safe navigation.