The Port of Mombasa experienced significant growth in 2024, with cargo throughput increasing to 41.1 million tons, up from 35.98 million tons in 2023. This marked a substantial improvement for the port, which remains the leading gateway to East and Central Africa.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto attributed the growth to enhanced operational efficiency and increased regional trade. “Uganda remains our top transit destination, accounting for 65.7 percent of our transit cargo with 8,811,289 tons handled in 2024, up from 7,115,079 tons in 2023,” Captain Ruto said. This represents a remarkable 23.8 percent growth in Ugandan cargo.
South Sudan emerged as the second-largest recipient of transit cargo, with 12.7 percent, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (11.8 percent), Rwanda (5.1 percent), and Tanzania (3.4 percent).
The port also reported a 132.9 percent increase in transshipment traffic, handling 491,666 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2024 compared to the previous year. Captain Ruto highlighted that this surge was driven by vessel diversions caused by the Red Sea crisis and an increase in vessel calls.
December 2024 stood out as the busiest month, with a record 3,746,363 tons of cargo shipped. KPA also reported substantial growth in containerized and bulk cargo volumes, further boosting overall performance.
“The port’s enhanced status as a transshipment hub allowed major shipping lines to choose Mombasa for their operations, enabling smaller feeder vessels to serve ports in Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as the Indian Ocean Islands,” noted Captain Ruto.
This growth marks a turnaround from 2023, when the port faced a decline in Ugandan cargo due to a diplomatic tiff between Kenya and Uganda, resulting in a 200,000 metric ton drop.
The 2024 performance underscores Mombasa Port’s critical role in facilitating regional trade, cementing its position as a strategic transit and transshipment hub for East Africa and beyond.
