Construction of the terminal which started in September 2018, is expected to increase the port’s annual capacity by 450,000 containers, bringing the total annual capacity to 2.1 million containers.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) confirmed that the Japanese contractor, Tokyo Construction Company Limited, has completed the project which has been described by maritime stakeholders as a game changer.

A statement from KPA said the handing-over ceremony, will be done soon after the Authority and relevant government agencies inspect the facility located on 100 acres at Kilindini Harbour.

Representatives of Tokyo Construction Company led by Hironari Sahara, Civil Construction Division Manager and Shuichi Aikawa, General Manager International Division, held a meeting with KPA officials and confirmed the completion of the project.

KPA was represented during the meeting that took place at the Kipevu Headquarters by General Manager Cargo Operations, Sudi Mwasinago and the General Manager Infrastructure Development, Abdullahi Samatar.

The project was financed through a government-to-government loan facility from the Japanese government under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Mombasa Port terminal will have three berths with lengths of 230,320 and 350 metres, where the largest berths will handle Panamax container ships of 20,000 deadweight tonnage and post Panamax vessels of 60,000.

The Phase One of the second container terminal, built at a cost of Sh26 billion, which involved reclaiming a sea area of about 50 acres, creating 550,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEUs) capacity, was commissioned in 2016.

By Fred Azelwa.