Transit cargo has emerged as the strongest signal of the Port of Mombasa’s growing regional importance, anchoring a record-breaking performance in 2025 and setting the stage for further expansion in 2026.

Driven largely by rising demand from land linked economies, transit cargo volumes climbed from 13.29 million tonnes to 15.88 million tonnes, an increase of 2.59 million metric tonnes or 19.5 per cent.

This steady growth underscores Mombasa’s role as the primary gateway for regional trade serving Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, northern Tanzania and Ethiopia.

“Transit cargo has clearly emerged as the strongest growth engine for the Port of Mombasa, confirming our position as the preferred gateway for the East and Central African region,” Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain Ruto said

The strong transit performance fed into an exceptional overall year for the port. Total cargo throughput hit a historic high of 45.45 million metric tonnes in 2025, up from 40.99 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 4.46 million tonnes, representing growth of 10.9 per cent.

This surge reflects expanding regional trade flows and reinforces the urgency for capacity expansion to accommodate growing entry and exit cargo volumes. The Port of Mombasa, one of the largest and busiest ports in East and Central Africa, connects directly to more than 80 ports worldwide and is supported by a multimodal transport network linking sea, rail and road corridors across the hinterland.

Captain Ruto attributed the strong performance to ongoing reforms, infrastructure upgrades, modernization initiatives, digitalization of procedures and sustained government support aimed at improving trade facilitation.

Container traffic also recorded notable growth, with the port handling 2.11 million TEUs in 2025 compared to 2.00 million TEUs in 2024, an increase of 109,797 TEUs or 5.5 per cent.

Overall import volumes rose sharply to 36 million metric tonnes from 30 million tonnes in 2024, reflecting growth of 20.1 per cent. Export cargo posted modest gains, increasing to 5.03 million tonnes from 4.96 million tonnes, a rise of 64,000 tonnes or 1.3 per cent.

According to Capt. Ruto, Mombasa’s domestic market share strengthened from 53.1 per cent to 55.4 per cent, with corresponding cargo volumes growing by 16.1 per cent, equivalent to 3.50 million tonnes.

“This points to sustained economic activity and renewed trade demand supported by improved logistics and streamlined cargo clearance processes,” he said, adding that KPA remains committed to embedding global best practices in maritime service delivery.

All major transit markets recorded strong growth, with Uganda expanding by 25.2 per cent, Rwanda by 22.8 per cent, the Democratic Republic of Congo by 16.5 per cent and Tanzania by 11.0 per cent, further cementing Mombasa’s position as the region’s most reliable trade corridor.

Transshipment traffic, however, declined to 385,656 TEUs from 496,034 TEUs in 2024, a drop of 22.3 per cent. Capt. Ruto attributed this to global shipping trends, geopolitical factors and changes in shipping line rotations amid intensifying regional competition.

Total container traffic at Lamu reached 55,687 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), supported by the introduction of regular shipping services. Capt. Ruto said the performance of Lamu, Kisumu Port and Inland Container Depots in Nairobi and Naivasha reflects a broader growth trajectory across Kenya’s port infrastructure, positioning the country as a key logistics hub for regional and international trade.