Kenya Port of Mombasa Acquires Gantry Cranes to Ease Congestion

Kenya’s port of Mombasa acquired three gantry cranes valued at $25.8 million from China to help ease congestion, Transport Minister Amos Kimunya said.

The machines, which have the capacity to carry 50 metric tons and can hoist two containers at once, will expedite loading and offloading of vessels, Kimunya told reporters yesterday in Mombasa. The port now has seven gantry cranes, he said.

Mombasa handles cargo to and from Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Congestion has worsened because of increased imports of fertilizer, wheat and corn, Gichiri Ndua, managing director of the Kenya Ports Authority, said in a phone interview today.

To contact the reporter on this story: Consolatah Lucas in Mombasa via Nairobi at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.