KRA and KPA push 24/7 Mombasa Port clearance to cut cargo congestion
Key points
- KRA and KPA agreed to fast-track efficient cargo clearance at Mombasa Port amid congestion worries.
- Plans include harmonised staff shifts for continuous gates and 24/7 port operations.
- Agencies will push Inland Container Depots and CFSs in Nairobi and Mombasa to free berth space.
- ACD system (live since 3 August 2026) has taken 1,000+ applications; Smart Gate pilot with iCMS integration is next.
Mombasa’s container yards cannot keep growing sideways forever. The Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Ports Authority have locked arms on a faster clearance package — continuous gates, deeper ICD/CFS use and digital pre-arrival checks — The Standard reported after a joint stakeholder session.
KRA Commissioner General Adan Mohammed cast the port as a growth engine that only works when agencies and private operators move in one rhythm: “Our objective is to create a seamless, predictable and efficient cargo clearance environment that supports business growth while protecting the country’s revenue.” The port now handles about 2.1 million TEUs and posted record throughput of 45.45 million metric tonnes last year, up 10.9 per cent from 40.99 million tonnes in 2024. Peak container pressure usually hits in the final quarter.
Since 3 August 2026, the Advanced Cargo Declaration platform has logged more than 1,000 applications, letting documentation start before goods leave the export port. KRA and KPA also plan to pilot Smart Gate, tying exit automation to the Integrated Customs Management System and partner agencies. CFS operators were told to run 24/7 with competitive tariffs so boxes leave the berth instead of camping on it — while Mohammed restated zero tolerance for evasion that undercuts compliant traders.
Technology is not a free pass past the scanner
Pre-arrival systems only help if shippers file clean data and CFS trucks actually roll at night. Without tariff realism and night-shift security, “24/7” becomes a PowerPoint slogan. Importers will measure success in dwell hours and demurrage bills, not press quotes.
Energy-transport desk: Energy & Transport. Verified TEU/throughput figures, ACD uptake and Smart Gate plan from The Standard.
Shippers should train teams on ACD now, not after the Q4 rush. County and security partners must staff night gates if the 24/7 pledge is serious.
Uganda- and Rwanda-bound transit will keep testing whether Mombasa stays the preferred gateway or loses boxes to competing corridors.
Based on The Standard reporting of the KRA–KPA stakeholder meeting. Operational timelines may shift after pilot reviews.
