Three EAC leaders unveil Sh6 billion berth at Mombasa port

President Uhuru Kenyatta with his counterparts Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda after they unveiled a plaque to officially commission Mombasa port’s Berth No. 19 on Wednesday.

By Patrick Beja and Benard Sanga

Mombasa, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta led regional leaders in commissioning a modern berth at the port of Mombasa, billed as a springboard to regional integration and increased trade between Africa and the rest of the world.

President Uhuru, his Rwanda counterpart Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni commissioned the Sh5.6 billion facility that is part of massive infrastructural programmes in the region.

Museveni is the East African Community (EAC) chairman.

President Uhuru said expansion of the port of Mombasa would help build a vibrant common regional market.

He said the Sh5.6 billion berth was part of efforts to improve efficiency to support growth of economies in the EAC region. The Heads of State called for an efficient and corruption-free port to boost regional trade.

President Uhuru called for more integrity, efficiency, discipline and accountability at the port.

“Our regional brothers and sisters depend on us to ensure that they never fail in want or suffer unnecessary inconvenience owing to inefficiency or corruption at this port,” he said.

Landlocked states

President Museveni said it was not a favour for the port of Mombasa to serve landlocked countries like Uganda and urged more efficient operations.

“Ugandan traders should promptly raise concern when they do not get good services. It is not a favour to be served at the port because Kenya Ports Authority profits,” he said.

The Ugandan President said his country buys goods worth US$700 million (about Sh60 billion) annually and should be regarded as an important business partner.

He urged Kenya to rid the port of corrupt elements and pledged to do the same in his country.

“I am going to deal with the few parasites who use dubious means to frustrate producers,” Museveni said. He, however, said port services had improved in the past few months following fresh efforts made by President Uhuru to ensure efficiency.

President Kagame commended the Jubilee Government for hitting the ground running particularly in the area of infrastructural development that was top on the agenda of EAC states.

“I commend the Kenya Government for its commitment in the expansion of this port which will serve people beyond the EAC region,” Kagame said.

Deputy President William Ruto said the government is determined to make the port efficient and modern enough to serve growing trade.

“Just in the recent past, this port was like a Vasco da Gama-age facility but now it is being modernised. It will assist our people do trade and investment and expand the regional economies,” said Ruto.

Dual carriageway

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho commended the State’s plans to build dual carriageway links, saying it would improve trade and tourism. President Uhuru pledged to promote regional integration through joint infrastructural programmes and investments to harness the collective potential of the region.

“This port is critical to our region’s development and commissioning berth 19 represents the pragmatic aspects of my government’s commitment,” he said.

He said the government intended to turn the port of Mombasa into the largest, busiest and most business-friendly seaport on the East African coast.

The new berth has created additional 200,000 twenty foot equivalent units (teus) while the annual demand stands at 900,000 teus.

Uhuru reiterated his government’s commitment to expedite EAC integration through facilitation of free movement of labour, goods and services.