Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director William K. Ruto has dismissed claims that the government plans to privatise the country’s major seaports, saying ongoing reforms are meant to attract private investment rather than transfer ownership.
Speaking during the government podcast Sema Na Spox – Bonga Na Gava, the KPA boss clarified that the government has no intention of selling key facilities at the Port of Mombasa or the Port of Lamu.
Instead, he said the government is considering a landlord port model, where the state retains ownership of port land and infrastructure while allowing private operators to lease certain services and operations.
According to Ruto, feasibility studies have already been conducted to determine the value of the authority’s assets and identify areas where private sector participation could help expand infrastructure and improve efficiency.
“The government is not selling port land or infrastructure. What we are looking at is allowing private participation in some operations to enhance efficiency and attract investment,” he said.
He explained that the approach would help modernise port services, boost operational performance and increase cargo handling capacity while keeping strategic assets under government control.
Ruto also revealed that the Port of Mombasa is currently facing increasing pressure due to rapid growth in container traffic.
According to KPA data, container volumes have more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 1 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2014 to 2.1 million TEUs last year.
The growth had been gradual for several years, reaching about 1.45 million TEUs by 2022, before accelerating significantly after 2023.
Volumes rose to 1.6 million TEUs in 2023, representing an 11.6 percent increase, and crossed the 2 million TEU mark in 2024, adding nearly 600,000 TEUs within two years.
With the port’s current capacity estimated at about 2.2 million TEUs, the increased cargo volumes are now placing pressure on existing infrastructure.
Despite the strain, Ruto said demand from regional transit markets remains strong, reinforcing Mombasa’s role as a critical trade gateway for East and Central Africa.
The KPA chief also said the Port of Lamu, completed in 2021, is gradually attracting more vessels following intensified marketing efforts aimed at regional and international shipping lines.
On service delivery, Ruto noted that operations at the Port of Mombasa have now been fully digitised.
He said manual payments have been eliminated, with all port-related transactions processed through digital platforms including eCitizen and direct bank transfers.
International shipping companies, he added, now wire payments directly from overseas, reducing physical interactions and improving efficiency in port operations.
