Positive Corridor Performance Trajectories for most indicators during the year 2019

In the period January-December 2019, the Port of Mombasa recorded 34,439,264 tons with a growth of 3,515,976 tons or 11.4 percent compared to the 30,923,288 tons registered in the corresponding period in 2018. Container traffic during the period January – December 2019 increased by 112,792 TEUs or 8.7 percent after registering 1,416,654 TEUs compared to the 1,303,862 TEUs handled in 2018.

Port of Mombasa

Total transit traffic registered a growth of 342,958 tons or 3.6 percent recording 9,947,519 tons during the period January-December 2019 against 9,604,561 tons registered in the corresponding period in 2018. This was largely attributed to increased handling cargo for Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Tanzania, recording increased volumes by 243,803 tons, 75,986 tons, 35,754 tons and 6,936 tons, respectively.

Analyzed and reliable data from the Northern Corridor Transport Observatory which is a performance monitoring tool with an online platform that currently tracks over forty (40) performance indicators reveal consistent positive trends on most indicators throughout the year 2019 with maritime indicators performing particularly well. However, there are still rooms for improvements as most initiatives are being enhanced. Key among the improvement enablers are road infrastructure development around the Port of Mombasa and in the Northern Corridor Member States, the Standard Gauge Railway and the implementation of the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System along the corridor.

The Transport Observatory indicates that from 2016 to 2019, Waiting Time before berth has been within the set target of 24 hours between four (4) hours and 12 hours. The sustained improvements were enabled by the massive development of Infrastructure around the Port of Mombasa, new and sufficient equipment and implementation of fixed berthing window. Stakeholders are in agreement that the trend should be sustained and the set target should be reviewed to be around 10 hours. Ship Waiting Time before Berth is an indicator which is measured from the time the Ship arrives at the fairway buoy to the time of its first berth. It is a subset of the Ship turnaround time.

The Median Ship Turnaround Time has been of 3.7 days in 2019 and 3.2 days in 2018 slightly beyond the set target of 3 days. The Port of Mombasa received new generation of bigger ships such as Triple E with the capacity of 18,000 TEUs and New Panamx with 12,500 TEUs. Ship Turnaround Time is an indicator which is measured from the time the ship arrives at the port area (Fairway Buoy) to the time it leaves the port area. It comprises of the ship waiting time and the ship working time (time when the vessel is being offloaded or loaded with cargo). The Ship Turnaround performance is partly attributed to availability of equipment, improved productivity of the gangs and the implementation of Fixed Berthing Window by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

Average Container Dwell Time at the Port of Mombasa has seen a steady decrease in 2019: 87 hours from 108 hours in 2015. The Northern Corridor Transport Observatory reveals also that in 2019, fifty per cent of Containers were picked up within an average of 2.2 days which is a decrease from 2.8 days in 2018 against the set target of 3 days. Container Dwell Time at the Port of Mombasa refers to the period from the time cargo is offloaded at the Port to the time goods leave the port premises after all clearances have been obtained.

Delay after Customs Release which refers to the period it takes to evacuate the cargo from the port of Mombasa after it is officially released by Customs has been fluctuating between 32 hours in June 2019 and 42 hours in December 2019. This delay contributes the biggest proportion of the Port Dwell Time. It’s mostly attributed to the Private Sector (Clearing Agents, Importers, etc.).

Time taken by Customs Clearance at the Document Processing Centre ranged between 1.9 hours in September 2019 to 2.6 hours in May 2019 against one hour target. The Poor performance was attributed among others to SIMBA System instability, Document Volumes awaiting between the Shifts, Quality of Declaration by Clearing Agents, etc. The Document Processing Time refers to the time taken by Customs to pass an entry lodged by a Clearing Agent. The Document Processing Time refers to the time taken by Customs to pass an entry lodged by a Clearing Agent.

The Transport Observatory however indicates that the set target of 24 hours for One Stop Centre Clearance Time is far to be reached partly due to Delays in joint verifications, Tests, Late payments by Clearing Agents and Late submission of amended Customs entries. One Stop Centre Clearance Time is the average time between passing of Customs Entry and issuance of release order. 

Vehicle Load Compliance as an indicator which measures the percentage of trucks that comply with the Gross Vehicle Load and the Vehicle Axle Load Limits reveals that Compliance is above 90% at Mariakani, Athi-River, Gilgil and Webuye and between 75-86% at Busia weighbridges. This good performance is attributed among others to the Self-Regulatory Charter signed in 2014 and the awareness and sensitization campaigns carried out along the Northern Corridor Road sections in kenya from Mombasa to Malaba, Busia and Kisumu.

Compliance level to Gross Vehicle load limits in Uganda vary between 99.6-100% at Lukaya, Luwero, Magamaga, Mbale and Mubende weighbridges. However, Compliance levels on Axle Load Limits are still less than 19% at all weighbridges in Uganda.

The Northern Corridor Transport Observatory indicates that, from January to December 2019, the Annual average Transit Time from Mombasa to Malaba was 5.8 days (140 h) and 6.8 days (164 hrs h) to Busia. The distance from Mombasa to Malaba and Busia is 933 Km and 947 Km, respectively.