Kisumu Port is on track to set a new performance record this year, with cargo throughput expected to surpass 200,000 tonnes. This milestone underscores the port’s vital role in connecting landlocked nations such as Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
In the first half of 2024, the port managed 125,503 tonnes of cargo, a significant increase from 60,910 tonnes during the same period last year. This represents a 51.5 percent rise, or an additional 64,592 tonnes, according to the Kenya Ports Authority.
The number of vessel calls has also seen a substantial increase, with 116 calls by July, up by 63 from the same period in 2023.
Among the vessels currently at the port is MV Uhuru, which is loading 22 wagons of steel billets weighing 804.5 tonnes destined for Jinja, Uganda.
Notably, MV Uhuru II, the first ship assembled in Kenya, is set to make its maiden voyage soon. The vessel, with a capacity of 1,800 tonnes, is designed to carry both petroleum and bulk dry cargo and features modern engines that allow for a cruising speed of 14 knots.
With the rising demand for petroleum products in the transit market, another fuel tanker, MT Kabaka Mutebi III, will soon join the fleet operating between Kisumu, Port Bell, and Jinja.
The ongoing expansion of the Kisumu jetty, a multibillion-shilling project, will further enhance the port’s capacity to handle petroleum products. Additionally, the Kenya Pipeline Corporation is upgrading its systems at the loading bay to enable simultaneous loading for both trucks and vessels.