I want to take a break from writing of China's activities in Africa in order to give some indications of the infrastructure challenges that are the basis for much of China's involvement on the continent.
Congestion at the port of Mombasa in Kenya is the result of a number of these challenges coming together to create the worst of bottlenecks, as I observed first hand during a recent visit.
Mombasa has long been the poster child for port congestion, with vessels sitting for weeks waiting for a berth. The Kenya Port Authority (KPA) developed a plan to ease congestion by establishing Container Freight Stations (CFSs) within a 10 km perimeter of the port itself. The idea was (and is) to move containers quickly from the berths to the CFSs, where they would await clearance and transport to inland destinations. The photo below shows one of the CFSs (the blue and orange area in the right center) and the transports hauling containers in and out. One can see that the traffic volume is quite heavy.
The establishment of the CFSs has reduced the waiting time for a berth dramatically - from up to 2 weeks to a few days. However, all that has really occurred is that the containers now wait in the CFSs instead of at the port. There has been no improvement in clearance and delivery efficiency. There are three reasons for this.
1. The CFSs are privately operated and a primary source of income is storage fees. So there is no incentive to get containers on the road quickly.
2. The road from Mombasa to Nairobi (the primary inland destination) and on to Uganda is in poor shape. Much of it is two lane mountain highway where truck traffic makes driving a private car quite an adventure, causing one of my companions to remark "I have not come here to die!". Repairs and new construction are underway but, as with most highway projects, are causing more problems while in progress. There is also a shortage of available transports, which will remain a challenge even after the new road is completed.
3. There is another option for moving containers inland. A rail line exists between Mombasa and an Inland Container Depot outside Nairobi. However, the depot sits almost empty because the rail line is woefully inadequate. It is narrow gauge, (built in 1902), has only a single line and the engines are only capable of hauling up to 30 containers. Parts for such old equipment is also difficult to come by so breakdowns are frequent. The end result is that less than 7% of container traffic travels by rail.
According to some sources, there is little momentum toward upgrading the railway. Most funding would come from transport taxes, and trucking companies are unwilling to pay for something that will erode their business. (The fact that there are not enough trucks to handle the current volume anyway seems to be academic to the discussion.)
Economic development in the region (the countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are cooperating as the East African Community) may be the spur that drives infrastructure development forward. Vast reserves of natural resources in the region and a growing domestic market will attract additional outside investment, including more from China. The road improvement project will facilitate development of recent oil and natural gas finds in the Kenya/Uganda border region. Then, perhaps, we can look forward to replacement of the current rail line with a standard gauge model.
Another project, named LAPSSET (Lamu Port and Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport), aims to develop Lamu as a sister port to Mombasa, with rail, road and pipeline links to South Sudan and Ethiopia. It is an ambitious plan and has just been implemented after many years on the drawing board. It is an encouraging sign that change is coming.
More information can be found on the Kenya Vision 2030 website at http://www.vision2030.go.ke/index.php/pillars/project/macro_enablers/181
TW
This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.
No comments:
Post a Comment