Mombasa Port Expands Capacity with Berth 19B to Handle Rising East African Trade Volumes
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is accelerating infrastructure expansion at the Port of Mombasa to keep pace with rising regional trade, with construction of Berth 19B at the centre of ongoing upgrades.
The project, contracted to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is part of KPA’s broader strategy to modernise port facilities, improve efficiency and strengthen Mombasa’s position as a leading maritime hub in Africa.
Once completed, Berth 19B will add 240 metres of quay length and a 15-metre draft, enabling the port to accommodate larger container vessels and increasing annual capacity by an estimated 300,000 TEUs.
The works also include dredging, quay wall development, expanded storage yards and upgraded port infrastructure to improve overall cargo handling efficiency.
According to KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto, the expansion is a direct response to sustained growth in trade volumes and rising demand for faster port services.
The Port of Mombasa continues to register strong performance, handling 45.45 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, up by 4.46 million tonnes from the previous year.
Container throughput also exceeded 2.11 million TEUs for the second consecutive year, while transit cargo to Uganda, Rwanda, the DRC and South Sudan rose to 15.88 million tonnes.
Industry stakeholders, including the Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA), have welcomed the project, noting that it will ease congestion, improve turnaround times and strengthen regional logistics networks.
As the main gateway for East and Central Africa, serving a hinterland of more than 300 million people, the Port of Mombasa continues to invest in berth expansion, digital systems and modern handling equipment to sustain its growing role in regional and global trade.
