By Maria Kalamatas | May 15, 2025
Nairobi —
Something is shifting in East Africa, and it isn’t just cargo. Kenya’s inland port strategy—quietly developed over the last three years—is now changing how freight moves across borders, and who controls what.
In Naivasha, several hundred kilometers from Mombasa, trains are arriving full. Containers are unloaded, inspected, and cleared—without ever reaching the congested coastal terminals. Trucks then carry them across borders into Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan.
It’s not just efficiency. It’s leverage.
“The inland port gives us more control,” said a customs coordinator overseeing the site. “It also keeps trade flowing when Mombasa slows down.”
For years, Mombasa was the only real option. A powerful port, but crowded. Political tensions, dock strikes, and aging infrastructure often delayed shipments. Now, with the new inland model, importers and regional forwarders have an alternative.
And that shift is being felt across the region.
Transport firms in Kampala and Kigali are adjusting their contracts. Freight forwarders in Dar es Salaam are reassessing rates. Even Tanzanian rail operators are watching, as Kenya’s standard gauge railway pushes deeper inland.
It’s not without friction. Some coastal stakeholders have resisted the change, worried about job losses and reduced port traffic. Others question the reliability of upcountry clearance systems. But for many in the logistics chain, the benefits outweigh the disruptions.
Cost savings. Faster movement. Less congestion. More transparency.
As regional trade grows—with East African countries pushing for tighter economic integration—Kenya’s inland port approach may become a model. Not just for East Africa. For any landlinked economy looking to break dependency on overburdened gateways.
Because sometimes, the smartest ports aren’t on the water. They’re built where the trucks are going anyway.
