The dry port project at Mai Mahiu is aimed at not only decongesting the Port of Mombasa but also creating up to 100,000 jobs of various kinds in the hinterland region as Kenya strengthens its cargo handling capacity and regional trade competitiveness.
“The development of the dry port will not only change the face of the business environment of Mai Mahiu and the neighboring towns, but also
it would help the local economies to grow by attracting multiple investments and by creating more business activities in the area,” said
Investment, Trade, and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui.
Kenya has for some time been on the look for alternative locations for the inland handling of cargo so as to alleviate the congestion of the port of Mombasa which is the major gateway to not only the Kenyan market but also the East and Central African region as a whole.
Mai Mahiu was found to be a strategic area to set up such a facility because of how close it is to the major transport corridors and how it can become the main logistics hub for the whole region.
The Cabinet Secretary said in a statement that at least 50 companies have so far inked deals worth billions of shillings to set up businesses around the planned dry port, thereby indicating how confident the private sector is of the success of the project.
To ensure that the cargo will be moved smoothly, the government has linked the dry port at Mai Mahiu to the railway network, thus facilitating the transport of goods from Mombasa Port both in Kenya and other countries in the region. This rail connection will not only make the journey faster but also cheaper and more dependable.
The government is also planning to convert the Rironi–Mau Summit road into a dual carriageway to improve traffic flow along the corridor.
Kinyanjui said that the road enhancement works would help people and goods to move with ease and also the interaction between the dry port and other transport means in the region will be very efficient.
The dry port in Mai Mahiu is the future of Mombasa decongestion and efficient trade facilitation in general and it places Kenya as a major logistics hub in the region
