Mombasa port has surpassed its main Eastern African competitors, Djibouti and Dar es Salaam, in the World Bank's global ports index, the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2023. The decline in rankings for the ports of Djibouti and Dar es Salaam was attributed to ship delays, non-tariff barriers, and inefficiencies. Djibouti port fell dramatically in the rankings due to business bottlenecks, while Dar es Salaam experienced a drop blamed on inefficiencies.
Ethiopia, seeking alternatives for its import and export corridors due to increasing insecurity in the Red Sea and Non-Tariff Barriers at Djibouti port, turned its attention to the Lamu port. Additionally, Ethiopia explored using Somaliland's Berbera port, leading to diplomatic tensions with Mogadishu. A Memorandum of Understanding between Somaliland and Ethiopia was signed, offering Ethiopia access to Somaliland's coastline and a stake in Ethiopian Airlines in exchange for an assessment of Somaliland's recognition. However, this deal was annulled by Mogadishu.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is focusing on increasing the throughput and efficiency of Mombasa port through its Strategic Plan 2023-2027. Efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers and invest in capacity expansion and modern equipment acquisition have been highlighted. The port's resilience is attributed to these strategic initiatives, which have significantly reduced vessel waiting times. The World Bank report underscores the importance of efficiency improvements across African ports to facilitate economic growth and streamline the global supply chain.
Source: theeastafrican.co.ke