Kenya ports Authority(KPA) has secured a Sh35 billion loan from the Japanese government for the construction of the second phase of the second container terminal at Mombasa port.
“We already have the Sh35 billion financing from the Japanese government. We are now in the tendering process but construction must commence by January 2018,” said Ms Mturi-Wairi in an interview.
The first phase which was completed in September 2017 has a handling capacity of 550,000 TEUs.
Latest data from Kenya Ports Authority(KPA) shows that Mombasa port cargo traffic registered an 11.9 per cent growth in the first six months of 2017. This was attributed to the construction of the second container terminal.
Stiff competition
In the wake of heightened competition from neighbouring Tanzania, Mombasa port has been striving to boost efficiency at the port to give it a competitive edge.
In 2015, Tanzania announced that it was planning construction of a mega port in Bagamoyo that would be the largest in East and Central Africa. It however temporarily halted plans reportedly due to financial constraints.