NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 – Cargo handled at the Port of Mombasa grew by 10 percent to 45.45 million metric tonnes (MT) last year, driven by increased demand.
In 2024, the port handled 40.99 million metric tonnes of cargo, representing a growth of 4.46 million metric tonnes.
Container traffic also expanded to 2.11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up from 2.00 million TEUs in 2024, an increase of 109,797 TEUs, or 5.5 percent.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Capt. William Ruto said transit cargo rose to 15.88 million metric tonnes from 13.29 million metric tonnes in 2024, translating to growth of 2.59 million metric tonnes or 19.5 percent.
He noted that all port facilities recorded growth, with the Port of Lamu posting the highest improvement.
“The facility handled an impressive 799,161 metric tonnes compared to 74,380 metric tonnes recorded the previous year, mainly driven by containerised cargo,” said Capt. Ruto.
During the period, Lamu Port also handled a total of 55,687 TEUs.
“With more shipping lines introducing regular services at Lamu, this is a promise for increased cargo volumes through the port in the coming years,” Capt. Ruto added.
Notable growth was also recorded at the inland waterway port of Kisumu, which processed 496,516 metric tonnes in 2025, compared to 295,516 metric tonnes the previous year. This represents a 55 percent increase, or an additional 163,085 metric tonnes.
Capt. Ruto attributed the growth to several ongoing and planned initiatives, noting that KPA is expanding infrastructure to meet rising demand. Key projects include the expansion of berths and yard space, including berths 19B, 23 and 24, which will add capacity of 1.4 million TEUs.
He further said the Authority is upgrading its Terminal Operating System, which is 40 percent complete, alongside gate automation works that have reached 60 percent completion for gates 23 and 24.
