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Cruise ships set to dock in Kisumu as new passenger terminal takes shape

Bahamas-flagged cruise ship MV World Odyssey 'Semester at Sea' at the Port of Mombasa in this undated file picture. (Photo: KPA)

By Alfred Onyango | Wednesday, June 5, 2024

The terminal features a public concourse with ticketing booths, screening spaces, snack areas, and arrival and drop-off zones.

Kisumu County is set to start receiving cruise ships following the design completion of an innovative passenger terminal at the port, aimed at wooing more travel and leisure visitors.

Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing.

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The new terminal is part of the Kisumu Port Resilient Infrastructure Project, a collaboration between the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and TradeMark Africa, the KPA said in a post on social media platform X on Monday, sharing the designs.

KPA engineers have finalized the design of an innovative passenger terminal at Kisumu Port, setting stage for cruise ships to start docking at the port in the near future.

This cutting-edge terminal is set to transform travel in the Lake region with its unique fusion of indoor… pic.twitter.com/qhvdckqBJF
— Kenya Ports Authority (@Kenya_Ports) June 3, 2024

The project encompasses a modern cargo warehouse to complement the new passenger terminal, ensuring comprehensive support for passenger and freight activities.

The terminal features a public concourse with ticketing booths, screening spaces, snack areas, and arrival and drop-off zones.

Additionally, it consists of passenger processing areas with immigration, customs, and port health services in addition to check-in counters.

Within the terminal premises will be a variety of amenities, including dining options, exchange offices, and spaces for taxi and tour providers.

The terminal is divided into sections for local travellers, international/VIP guests, and ferry passengers with significant cargo to maximise passenger flow.

This facility, which can accommodate more than 500 passengers at the jetty and 1,000 at the ferry terminal each hour, seeks to optimise transport operations and provide every tourist with an outstanding experience.

According to the KPA, other landing sites across the lake region are being refurbished to support the development, and cargo operations are ongoing at the pier.

It boasts a remarkable increase in cargo since the KPA took over from the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), from 3,000 metric tonnes in 2017 to over 127,000 metric tonnes in 2023.