Kenya, a country situated in the Eastern African region is the largest economy in eastern and central Africa with its capital, Nairobi serving as a major regional commercial hub. The agricultural sector is the second biggest contributor to the nation’s economy and employs 75% of the local population.

1. 9 Major Ports In Kenya
Sep 21,2022 / By Tradologie / No Comment
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Kenya, a country situated in the Eastern African region is the largest
economy in eastern and central Africa with its capital, Nairobi serving as a
major regional commercial hub. The agricultural sector is the second
biggest contributor to the nation’s economy and employs 75% of the local
population. Tea and coffee are the traditional cash crops and contribute
significantly to the economy. A boost can be seen in Kenya’s economy due
to a growth in the service sector, tourism and telecommunications.
Owing to its demographics, Kenya indulges in international trade through
its ports. The top exports of the country include Tea ($1.2B), Cut Flowers
($596M), Refined Petroleum ($308M), Gold ($262M) and Coffee ($229M).
Countries from around the world take shipments from Kenya such as
Uganda which trades around US$1 billion worth of products while Pakistan
($515M), the Netherlands ($503M), United States ($496M), and United

2. Kingdom ($435). In Kenya, the international trade of import-export is
carried out by
thriving Kenyan ports that act as wheels of the economy by bringing in
revenue.
Port of Mombasa
Mombasa Port is situated on the African coast, and is the largest and the
busiest port in the Eastern African region. This port is an important
maritime gateway for the Eastern and Central regions. It has a handling
capacity of 2.65 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). It serves
countries such as Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Somalia and handles
shipments from Western Europe, Asia, the Americas and the East. It is the
5th best container port in the African region and stands at 117th position in
the world.
The port deals with shipments of various kind of products such as
fertilisers, grains, cement, soda ash and liquid bulk items like crude oil and
petroleum. Coffee, sugar and tea are the commodities meant for export
from Kenya. In addition, the port also handles bulk and heavy cargo such
as iron and steel, timber, vehicles and container goods. The port has a
grain capacity of 245,000 metric tonnes. Kenya Ports Authority oversees
the operations from pilotage, docking and anchorage, whereas shipping,
transport and storage services are offered by third party enterprises.
Port Reitz
The port of Reitz is located in the northwest region of the island, Mombasa.
This port was once a fully functional and flourishing facility, but has since
then fallen into disrepair due to irregular maintenance. The area still has a

3. picturesque view of the palatial homes built by the British in the 19th
century, but now it is also dotted with container freight stations, vehicle
yards, and garages.
Port of Lamu
The port of Lamu or Lamu Corridor is a port still in development. When
complete, the port will become the second largest port in Kenya. The port
would handle major cargo traffic of the region’s north corridor. The site for
the construction of the port, Manda Bayat, was chosen strategically
keeping in mind the wide entrance channel and a deep basin. It has a 10
km shoreline which makes it ideal for building a port with a capacity of
accommodating 23 berths.
The Kenyan government has embarked on a project to build the port of
Lamu with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a railway terminal,
storage tanks, container freight stations, and refinery. This port will be able
to accommodate larger ships and will handle cargo that is currently being
routed to Sudan and the Mombasa port. It is projected that this new port
will see cargo traffic totaling 23.9 million by 2030.
Port of Kilifi
The port of Kilifi is a medium-sized port located in the Kilifi Creek. The port
area is very well sheltered and has a bridge. Annually, the wharf deals with
230 million tonnes of fish. The shore is known for its beautiful mangroves
and is a popular spot for water sports so the port also offers marina
services. Kenya Ports Authority aims to develop it further so that it can
accommodate 200 mooring points for all kinds of ships.

4. Port of Mtwapa
This small port is currently only equipped to handle smaller yachts and
ships, but plans are underway to expand its facilities to accommodate
fishing vessels as well. The Kenya Port Authority is currently constructing a
fish landing facility and some berths. Once completed, this will allow the
port to better serve the needs of the local fishing community.
Port of Shimoni
Shimoni port is a small port located on Wasini island off the southern coast
of Kenya. It is scarcely linked to the mainland, but it is the biggest small
port in terms of coastal trade, handling about 10,000 metric tonnes of
cargo. The dock primarily handles fishing activities and tourism. It has a
deep and well-sheltered bay that can accommodate large ships. The Kenya
Ports Authority is planning to develop the shipping port further, which will
expand its potential as a trading spot.
Port of Malindi
The port of Malindi is located on the northern side and is just 120 kms away
from the biggest port of the country, the port of Mombasa. It has a dock that
is in good condition however due to accretion, the breaking area has drifted
to the fish landing part of the port. Its anchorage is 11 m
to 12.2 m and it can accommodate vessels measuring up to 500 m. This
port exports cotton, sim-sim and copra. It also serves the fish industry and
has scope for expansion that is why the Kenya Ports Authority is working to
revamp the dock to make it an efficient fishing port and also a tourist spot,

5. as the Malindi town is a popular destination. Currently, the fish jetty handles
about 1,250 Metric Tonnes annually and sees 8000 tourist vessels.
Port of Kiung
The port of Kiung is a dock near the Village of Kirunga that deals with 2500
Metric Tonnes of fish and 1000 Metric Tonnes of cotton and coconut
exports. This jetty has limited access to sea and the Kenya Ports Authority
is planning to take 20 acres of land to develop this port into an efficient
fishing port that would boost the fishing sector. It also plans to dredge the
water channel and construct another wharf that has easy access to the
waters. The port would also have offices and buildings apart from a cold
storage facility for keeping seafood.
Kisumu Port
The Kisumu Port is located on the banks of Lake Victoria and exports
petroleum products from Kenya to bordering countries like the Eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan. It also deals with
edible oil, bar soaps, shoe polish, sweets, shoes, netting material, blankets
and fertilisers. The port imports sugar, cottonseed cake, bottled water and
soda. It spans 17.5 hectares and has a stacking area that can handle about
15,000 TEUs annually. It imported 21,943 tons in 2014 and according to
estimates, its local imports would increase to 130,000 tonnes by 2025, and
180,000 tonnes by 2035.
Conclusion
The seaports are the gateways for goods in and out of the country and are
the entry points for tourists. East African countries including Kenya, have

6. coastlines stretching for thousands of miles, and that allows the ports to be
a major source of income for the country. In Kenya, three major ports-
Mombasa, Lamu and Malindi handle most of the trade. The trade volume of
Kenya with other countries has grown exponentially in the last couple of
years. According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
(KNBS), the country’s overall trade volume increased from US$18.2 Billion
in 2020 to US$23.2 Billion in 2021.
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