Capacity constraints at Mombasa’s Empty Container Depots (ECDs), coupled with poor coordination between depot operators and shipping lines, now threaten to cripple operations at the Port of Mombasa, despite the facility recently recording unprecedented growth in cargo volumes driven by operational improvements.
According to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), port yards are strictly cargo handling zones, with shipping lines allocated specific slots to hold empty containers for no more than seven days before shipping them out.
“Empty containers belong to the shipping lines, not KPA. We receive them based on shipping lines’ instructions,” clarified Captain Ruto.
Importers moving containerized cargo through Mombasa port have up to 15 days to return empty containers to the shipping lines for domestic cargo and 30 days for transit cargo. These empties can also be returned via the Standard Gauge Railway. With just seven days allowed to load empties before storage charges begin accruing, shipping lines often divert containers to privately owned ECDs for holding in case there is no available ship.
“The storage period at an ECD is a private arrangement between the shipping line and depot operators, typically ranging from 30 to 60 days,” Captain Ruto explained. Repatriation of empties for vessel loading, he added, depends entirely on shipping lines’ directives, tied to ship schedules and slot availability. “KPA is not privy to shipping lines’ flexible operational plans. We act solely on their instructions,” he emphasized.
Many ECDs are now operating at over 90% capacity, particularly those along the congested Port Reitz highway. The National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has further tightened regulations, penalizing truckers Sh30,000 for parking along road shoulders to load or offload empties—previously a common workaround.
In 2024, the Port of Mombasa handled over 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), representing 23% year-on-year growth. However, most ECDs have failed to invest in critical infrastructure—yard space, handling equipment, and sufficient trucking capacity.
An anonymous ECD operator disclosed that two depots have slashed their service rates, attracting major shipping lines that are now dictating where empties must be dropped, further exacerbating congestion. “With certain ECDs overwhelmed, there’s no capacity to accept more empties. Shipping lines also restrict random repatriation from ECDs to the port. Finding specific containers for repatriation requires multiple moves, worsening delays,” the operator said.
Compounding the crisis is KPA’s rigid berth window schedule—agreed upon with shipping lines—to ensure vessels meet subsequent port calls. Due to sluggish empty container flows and ECDs’ reliance on outsourced trucks, many empties miss repatriation deadlines, clogging both depots and port yards, which are limited to holding 50% of each shipping line’s stacking requirement.
“Shipping lines are failing to evacuate empty containers swiftly, causing a massive backlog that is choking Kenya’s entire logistics chain. Depots are overwhelmed, not just short of space, but lacking the equipment and systems to handle current volumes. The result is logistical chaos: long queues, delays, and surging costs,” warned Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) Chairman Newton Wang’oo in a letter to the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA).
Truckers are now stranded in queues stretching for hours—or even days—just to return empties, immobilizing critical transport assets and paralyzing cargo flows across Kenya.
Ironically, despite causing the delays, shipping lines continue charging demurrage fees on empties, penalizing transporters and shippers for bottlenecks beyond their control. KTA argues that this should be reversed, with shipping lines compensating truckers for idling equipment and lost earnings.
Repatriation of empties is entirely dependent on shipping lines’ discretion, based on berth schedules and yard availability. But most lines now fail to give timely pre-advice to ECDs. Mahadi ECD General Manager Eric Wambua revealed that weekly repatriation cycles have stretched to fortnightly. “We were told to return 500 containers recently. We managed just 60 before being told the port had no space. The rest were shut out when the vessel left,” he said.
Rigid berthing schedules at KPA mean ships often depart with empty slots while stranded containers clog ECD yards. “Shipping lines are leaving with unused space while containers remain stuck in depots,” Wambua lamented.
Mombasa currently relies on just five main ECDs, with a combined capacity of only 28,400 TEUs, grossly inadequate for present volumes. KTA has sounded alarm bells, branding the situation a deepening operational bottleneck that risks paralyzing Kenya’s national logistics chain.
Kenya Ships Agents Association (KSAA) CEO Elijah Mbaru noted that when congestion hits, KPA prioritizes import cargo over empties, given that throughput statistics measure performance. Mbaru also faulted new regulations requiring cleaning and inspection of empties at designated depots, adding complexity and cost. KEPHIS now levies Sh2,000 per vessel and Sh500 per container, further slowing container turnaround.
KTA also blames regulators for failing to act. “The Kenya Maritime Authority’s continued silence on these critical industry issues reflects a serious dereliction of duty. Its capacity to regulate shipping lines is now in question,” KTA said, accusing KMA of being compromised by multinational shipping giants and failing to protect Kenyan stakeholders.
In a telephone interview with Freight Logistics, Mr. Charles Mwebembezi, the president of the Federation of the East African Freight Forwarders Associations (FEAFFA), has urged urgent, coordinated action to clear the mounting empty container backlog, warning that delays at Mombasa ripple across every inland corridor served by the port. “The Port of Mombasa is an essential gateway for the entire region. When empty containers are trapped in depots, trucking assets idle, vessel slots sail underutilized, and trade slows for importers and exporters alike—from Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, the DRC, and beyond,” he said.
Mr. Mwebembezi called on shipping lines, depot operators, regulators, and the Kenya Ports Authority to agree on time-bound evacuation plans, transparent reporting of empty stocks, and fair treatment of shippers facing demurrage linked to congestion outside their control. “We cannot celebrate volume growth while logistics costs escalate because empties can’t move. Let’s align schedules, open rail return windows, and restore fluidity before the situation constrains regional trade,” he added.
This article was published by Githua Kihara, an editorial consultant for FEAFFA’s Freight Logistics Magazine. For any inquiries, please contact us via email at editorial@feaffa.com or freightlogistics@feaffa.com, or reach out to Andrew Onionga directly at onionga@feaffa.com / +254733780240.
