The contracted firms — Mombasa Container Terminal and Consolbase — will now await decisions on logistical issues before they start storing containers.
They have a capacity to handle 3,000 containers per month each. The port has been handling 15,000 containers per month, 8,000 more than its capacity of 7,000.
The authority placed a tender invitation to container freight stations licensed to store vehicles in Mombasa on March 26.
The tender committee then visited inland container depots and shortlisted the two firms.
Others firms that were approached during the tendering process, but failed to make the 75 per cent cut off mark were Boss Freight Terminal, Siginon Freight, Mitchell Cotts, Awanad, Kipevu and Transami. Pepe CFS was not approached because of its location — Athi River.
KPA managing director Abdalla Mwaruwa said that, apart from the increasing number of containers handled in the recent past, the inability of Rift Valley Railways to move them and low capacity of trucks to transport the containers by road, congestion at the Dar es Salaam port had also contributed to the problem in Mombasa.
Ships calling at Mombasa have already warned that they could impose a vessel delay surcharge on the port over delays caused during the discharge of containers from their vessels.
Shipping agents who use both Mombasa and Dar estimate that ships could charge KPA $15,000 per ship per day once the surcharge takes effect, a month after being issued by the conference lines.
However, Mr Mwaruwa says the plan to have the inland container depots handle the containers will decongest the container terminal.
Mombasa Port terminal manager Joseph Atonga said the unprecedented increased in the number of containers at the port was attributable to the new terminal equipment purchased recently at a cost of Ksh5 billion ($71.4 million).
Two new shipping lines — Emirates, with six ships, and China National Shipping Lines — have started docking in Mombasa.
“Our projections of an increase of about 12 per cent in the amount of cargo being handled have been surpassed because we have been handling more than 30 per cent more,” he said.
Explaining why so many companies were disqualified from the tender, KPA procurement manager Yobesh Oyaro said the conditions set out for the tender were stiff and most of the container freight stations were technically knocked out.
Mr Oyaro said a station bidding for the tender was required to have been in operation for the past three years prior to the tendering process.
Evidence of ownership of or unimpeded access to three hectares of land where the station is operating, to remain in force for at least two years from the date of the bid submission, must be proven.
The station must also be within a 10-km radius of the port premises and show evidence of container yard handling, stripping and stuffing equipment such as terminal tractors, lift trucks, stackers and top loaders.
Site visits were conducted for those that passed the first test, to confirm capacity for storing 3,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers, accessibility from the main road and adequate approach road to facilitate movement of 20 and 40-foot container trailers, while a rail siding would be an added advantage.
They have a capacity to handle 3,000 containers per month each. The port has been handling 15,000 containers per month, 8,000 more than its capacity of 7,000.
The authority placed a tender invitation to container freight stations licensed to store vehicles in Mombasa on March 26.
The tender committee then visited inland container depots and shortlisted the two firms.
Others firms that were approached during the tendering process, but failed to make the 75 per cent cut off mark were Boss Freight Terminal, Siginon Freight, Mitchell Cotts, Awanad, Kipevu and Transami. Pepe CFS was not approached because of its location — Athi River.
KPA managing director Abdalla Mwaruwa said that, apart from the increasing number of containers handled in the recent past, the inability of Rift Valley Railways to move them and low capacity of trucks to transport the containers by road, congestion at the Dar es Salaam port had also contributed to the problem in Mombasa.
Ships calling at Mombasa have already warned that they could impose a vessel delay surcharge on the port over delays caused during the discharge of containers from their vessels.
Shipping agents who use both Mombasa and Dar estimate that ships could charge KPA $15,000 per ship per day once the surcharge takes effect, a month after being issued by the conference lines.
However, Mr Mwaruwa says the plan to have the inland container depots handle the containers will decongest the container terminal.
Mombasa Port terminal manager Joseph Atonga said the unprecedented increased in the number of containers at the port was attributable to the new terminal equipment purchased recently at a cost of Ksh5 billion ($71.4 million).
Two new shipping lines — Emirates, with six ships, and China National Shipping Lines — have started docking in Mombasa.
“Our projections of an increase of about 12 per cent in the amount of cargo being handled have been surpassed because we have been handling more than 30 per cent more,” he said.
Explaining why so many companies were disqualified from the tender, KPA procurement manager Yobesh Oyaro said the conditions set out for the tender were stiff and most of the container freight stations were technically knocked out.
Mr Oyaro said a station bidding for the tender was required to have been in operation for the past three years prior to the tendering process.
Evidence of ownership of or unimpeded access to three hectares of land where the station is operating, to remain in force for at least two years from the date of the bid submission, must be proven.
The station must also be within a 10-km radius of the port premises and show evidence of container yard handling, stripping and stuffing equipment such as terminal tractors, lift trucks, stackers and top loaders.
Site visits were conducted for those that passed the first test, to confirm capacity for storing 3,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers, accessibility from the main road and adequate approach road to facilitate movement of 20 and 40-foot container trailers, while a rail siding would be an added advantage.