Congestions, delays push Mombasa Port to position 375 of 403 worldwide- World Bank
While Kenya’s main gateway struggles, other regional ports are recording improvements. Dakar in Senegal has moved from a CPPI of –82 in 2023 to 23 in 2024, becoming the best-performing port in sub-Saharan Africa. Cotonou in Benin also made significant strides, rising from –243 to –17 within the same period.
Kenya’s main seaport in Mombasa is losing ground to emerging regional competitors as congestion and slow vessel turnaround continue to weigh down its operations, a new World Bank report has shown.
The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2020–2024, released jointly with S&P Global Market Intelligence, ranks Mombasa among the lowest globally, placing it at position 375 out of 403 ports this year with a CPPI score of –89.
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This is a sharp decline from previous years, with scores of –31 in 2020, –11 in 2021, –81 in 2022, and –32 in 2023.
The CPPI measures how efficiently container vessels are processed at ports, with negative scores pointing to delays, congestion, and poor time management.
The report shows that Mombasa has not been able to address operational bottlenecks over the years, leaving it lagging behind other sub-Saharan African ports.
While Kenya’s main gateway struggles, other regional ports are recording improvements. Dakar in Senegal has moved from a CPPI of –82 in 2023 to 23 in 2024, becoming the best-performing port in sub-Saharan Africa. Cotonou in Benin also made significant strides, rising from –243 to –17 within the same period.
Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, a key competitor for cargo traffic in the region, has maintained more stable scores than Mombasa despite still ranking low globally. It posted –176 in 2020, –72 in 2021, –80 in 2022, –53 in 2023, and –53 in 2024.
“Sub-Saharan Africa continues to face persistent structural challenges, including limited automation and weaker hinterland connectivity. The Red Sea crisis added further strain in 2024,” the report stated.
The World Bank notes that ports in low-income countries are more likely to register weaker performance due to technological, human, and institutional limitations.
President William Ruto recently admitted that infrastructure must keep up with growing demand.
He said the government has allocated Sh41 billion for expansion works at Mombasa port to improve efficiency and accommodate more cargo.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) plans to increase capacity to 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) this year, up from two million in 2024.
Expansion of Terminal 19 and the demolition of the old Kipevu oil terminal are among the key projects.
The report also paints a mixed picture for Southern Africa. Cape Town remains among the lowest ranked globally with a CPPI of –281 in 2024, though it improved from –519 in 2023. Durban’s performance worsened significantly, dropping to –721 from –206.
The report attributes these figures to prolonged waiting times at anchor, while berth times have largely stayed the same.
As West and Central African ports surge ahead, the findings place pressure on Kenya to fast-track upgrades at Mombasa or risk losing its competitiveness as the region’s main cargo hub.
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