The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has commenced movement of transit cargo from the Port of Mombasa to the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD) in a move aimed at decongesting and improving efficiency at the coastal port.

The taxman says the implementation of the move means that affected cargo owners and their clearing agents will have to clear and pick their goods at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.

The facility is expected to boost storage of cargo destined to Uganda, South Sudan, Northern Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Transport ministry had issued a directive that beginning 1st June, all cargo from the Port of Mombasa destined for Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan will be transported either on Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for clearance at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Naivasha or Metre Gauge Railway to Tororo/Kampala.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development James Macharia also added that all transit cargo railed to ICD Naivasha will then be collected by trucks to the partner states via Busia or Malaba.

“All the transit cargo/containers transported on SGR will be armed only at ICD at Naivasha to be tracked through the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System; and all exports (both full and empty exports) not railed on meter gauge railway will be delivered to ICD for railing to the Port of Mombasa.” He said.

The Nairobi–Naivasha SGR Project is part of the proposed Mombasa–Nairobi–Malaba /Kampala Standard Gauge Railway Project and therefore, the Mombasa – Naivasha SGR, which has an overall length of 600 kilometre up to the Inland Container Depot at Naivasha will reduce the road distance to three Partner States of Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan by 600 kilometres, and will subsequently reduce interactions along the corridor and thus facilitate the containment of the Covid-19.