TThis week, one of the leading shipping agencies in East Africa celebrates 23 years of seamless shipping and operational excellence, connecting ports, people, and possibilities.
“We celebrate the arduous journey, the waves conquered, and the horizons yet to be explored. Mr. Silvester Kututa, the Executive Chairman and Founder of Express & Shipping Logistics (E.A.) Ltd (ESL) and the Chairman of the Kenya Ships Agents Association (KSAA), said to Freight Logistics Magazine, “We are setting sail towards another year of operational excellence and innovation in all East African ports.”
His venture in the logistics industry against many odds 23 years ago is strongly anchored on the great desire to nurture the industry’s professionals. In 2001, after graduating with an MSc. in Shipping Management from the World Maritime University, Sweden, he declined formal employment in both the UK and Dubai in favor of jetting back to Kenya to start a logistics firm in an industry that has over the years been dominated by foreign actors. It is this zeal that has pushed Mr. Kututa, who was born in Kichaka Simba, Kwale County.
Mr. Kututa said that his own experience over the years has taught him that logistics and infrastructural projects should be viewed from a long-term perspective if one wants to venture into the sector.
“It was a tough time for me and everyone in the company, given the long time the company took to become profitable. I kept on remembering the job offers I had received earlier on, upon completion of my Master’s degree. But I felt that I had a bigger responsibility to create jobs in the logistics sector in East Africa; hence, I soldiered on,” Kututa said.
Currently, with an operational and physical presence in all the key inland and sea ports in East Africa, the company offers ship agency, logistics, customs clearance, ship brokerage, vessel chartering, and consultancy, among other services in the logistics value chain.
The future is dazzling if the Lamu corridor is extended beyond South Sudan and Ethiopia, according to Kututa, who said that it should also be extended to reach West Africa’s Douala-Lagos-Cotonou-Abidjan Corridor and run through Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, creating synergies for a mega-market for the port.
LAPSSET corridor will also open up the Northern part of Kenya. Kenya hopes to ride on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement launched in 2021 to secure business for the Lamu Port. The Dongo Kundu SEZ also presents massive opportunities.
“We are the market leaders in both Kenya and Tanzania, handling significant cargo volumes at the Ports of Mombasa, Tanga, and Mtwara. By implication, as a market leader, we have to shoulder the responsibility that comes with it,” Martin Karani, Chief Executive Officer at ESL, said in an earlier interview with Freight Logistics Magazine.
ESL Group has won the following awards in the East African Maritime Awards: Best Shipping Agent (Tramp Agency): Express Shipping & Logistics EA Ltd (ESL), and Best Clearing and Forwarding Agent Kenya: ESL Forwarders. Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) held its second EAMA on September 17, 2021, in Mombasa to recognize the industry’s outstanding practices for excellence.
It is sustainability, excellence in operations, technology, people, and leadership across the Eastern Africa region that have placed ESL where it stands today. “Everything we do must have our signature of Excellence,” Mr. Kututa said after the award.
The event was organized by KPA in partnership with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade), Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA), and East African Business Council (EABC).
ESL has in recent years been certified for the FONASBA Quality Standard Award for ship agents. It is also an ISO 9001:2015-certified company in all its East African entities and was awarded the New Millennium Award in Madrid, Spain, in 2006 and 2007.
ESL is an accredited Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) in both Kenya & Uganda. This accreditation is issued to companies that uphold the highest standards of practices, and their systems and processes are carefully audited by the tax authorities, hence allowing them to clear commodities without a lot of scrutiny as their processes and systems are trusted. This provides value to customers.
The company has expanded its profile and is today serving a wide range of customers spread across many sectors, varying from construction, manufacturing, mining, project cargo, grains, fertilizer, steel, bulk chemicals, cold chain logistics, cruise vessels, and marine services, among others.
The company is affiliated with several professional bodies, which has helped it enhance its professionalism. These bodies include the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO, Copenhagen), KSAA, and the Institute of Chartered Ship Brokers (UK) (ICS).
According to the group’s CEO, Mr. Martin Karani, the current awards are an affirmation and assurance that the company is not only committed to excellence but also driven by its mission of powering its customers to be leaders in their respective markets.
It also reinforces ESL’s focus on continually innovating the dynamic logistics industry to be the most sought-after employer in the industry.
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.