The Kenya Ports Authority is banking on the standard gauge railway (SGR) to offer a lasting solution to container congestion at the Mombasa port.

KPA chairman Danson Mungatana said the new railway would come in handy as the container capacity at the port is expanded from 900,000 containers to 2.1 million by 2016.

The construction of the second container terminal with a capacity of 1.2 million containers is expected to be completed in 2016.

Currently 95 per cent of the containers at the port are transported by road. At least 20,000 trucks transport cargo from Mombasa through the Northern Corridor daily.

Mr Mungatana says cargo ferried by rail from the port had dropped from 30 per cent to five per cent in the last 20 years.

He said unless the railway line was put in place in good time, the port would face extreme container congestion as it would be difficult for the 2.1 million containers to be transported by road, warning of traffic congestion on the Northern Corridor.

“The KPA management fully supports the standard gauge railway project as it is the future solution to container congestion at the port,” he said.
“Without efficient transport, the port and our roads would be thrown into crisis.”

The new railway line would also minimise damage to roads.

Mr Mungatana was speaking to journalists at the Mkomani Showground on Tuesday.

Source: Business Daily

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