Stalled border, poor roads hurt Mombasa transit cargo growth

Poor road network and the lack of a functional border entry point are the major obstacles hindering growth of transit cargo through Mombasa to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The border entry point between Kenya and South Sudan remains dysfunctional, while the road to the DRC remains in bad condition.

According to the Mombasa-based interstate agency, the Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), the upgrade of the two projects has stalled.

NCTTCA Executive Secretary Dr John Deng said the stalling of projects along the corridor was the biggest impediment to the growth of transit cargo through Mombasa.

Data from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) indicate that last year transit cargo grew by 14 per cent to reach 13.4 metric tonnes due to growing regional economies.

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Dr Deng said the growth was also due to efficiency at the Port of Mombasa and the corridor. He said Kenya has implemented several infrastructure projects along the corridor to enhance cargo flow.

However, he said lack of a last-mile connection to South Sudan — Kenya’s second-largest transit market after Uganda — has hindered the expected volumes of transit cargo.

Kenya has already completed the Eldoret-Lodwar road, part of the 960-kilometre Eldoret–Juba highway. But the critical 11-kilometre Nadapal–Nakodok section, which straddles the Kenya–South Sudan border, remains unconstructed.

Kenya was to finance this section, but construction has been delayed due to land ownership disputes between Kenya and South Sudan and security concerns, making it impossible to hand over the site to contractors or guarantee workers’ safety.

Ownership of the land, part of the contested Ilemi Triangle, is the subject of protracted bilateral negotiations between Kenya and South Sudan.

Although a joint communique issued after a meeting between President William Ruto and President Salva Kiir in Juba last year announced the resumption of work on the Nadapal–Nakodok segment, South Sudan later denied any binding agreement had been reached.

“This has been a major bottleneck in attracting donor support. Deng said adding, “Projects of mutual benefit require political consensus. Unfortunately, we have not secured that yet, which is why the World Bank withdrew its support.”

Due to the lack of direct access, South Sudanese importers must rely on the Ugandan route, where they must cross two separate border points, one between Kenya and Uganda and the Uganda-South Sudan border, increasing costs and causing delays.

If the Nadapal crossing were operational, congestion at Malaba and Busia border posts would be eased, Dr Deng added.

The Nadapal–Nakodok section is a critical part of the broader Eldoret–Juba corridor, which is supported by the World Bank under the East Africa Regional Transport, Trade and Development Facilitation Project.

Designed to bitumen standards, this road is expected to reduce the transit time between Mombasa and Juba from eight days to five.

“The economic value of this link is immense,” Dr Deng noted. “We need to resolve this section’s economic aspect first and handle the political complexities later.”

Due to the infrastructure challenges in both South Sudan and the DRC, NCTTCA is now advocating for greater use of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

Last week, stakeholders met in Nairobi to harmonise the design standards for the SGR between Kenya and Uganda. Different contractors will develop the Naivasha–Malaba and Malaba–Kampala segments, leading to the identification of 16 technical specifications.

In a significant step, Uganda signed a €2.7 billion contract with Turkish construction firm Yapı Merkezi in October 2024.

The SGR is expected to be extended to South Sudan and the DRC, with cargo volume through the Port of Mombasa projected to hit 50 million metric tonnes by 2028.

“To reduce congestion at the port, we are investing in Naivasha, where each transit country has been allocated 10 acres to build Inland Container Depots (ICDs),” said Dr Deng.

Kenya has already allocated land to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the DRC to build cargo handling and warehousing facilities.