In brief
- On 21 June 2014, Somaliland Sun reported port congestion and inefficiencies in Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, suggesting an opportunity for Berbera.
- The report details claimed investments and complaints but provides no evidence that Berbera has since capitalised on the situation.
- Specific port projects such as the Mombasa cargo berth and Kurasini Oil Jetty upgrade are described as underway or financed only in that 2014 account.
On 21 June 2014, the Somaliland Sun published a report titled “Somaliland: Port Challenges in East Africa Afford a Golden Opportunity for Berbera”, arguing that inefficiencies and congestion at major regional ports could open space for Berbera. The report remains a snapshot of claims made at that date; it does not establish what has happened since.
According to the Somaliland Sun report, the Kenya Ports Authority claimed a vision to provide “World class seaports of choice”. The same report said that China Roads and Bridge Corporation was constructing a new cargo berth at the Port of Mombasa, and that Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors had carried out dredging at the Kalindini channel.
The report also stated that the Japanese-funded Mombasa Port Area Roads Development Project, called the Dongo Kundu Bypass, would help ease traffic bottlenecks. It added that Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho had visited Malaysia to meet potential investors over a free port project.
On Dar es Salaam, the Somaliland Sun reported that the port contained two kilometres of quays with eleven deep-water berths and served Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. The Tanzanian Ports Authority had secured a $60 million loan to upgrade the Kurasini Oil Jetty, the report said.
The article attributed concerns over inefficiencies to Makhtar Diop, the World Bank Vice-President for Africa, during a visit to Mombasa. Ugandan MPs claimed that port inefficiencies were forcing up their country’s business costs, as reported by the Somaliland Sun.
The report asserted that ports across East Africa and the Horn, including Berbera, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti and Mombasa, were in enormous demand. It also cited Trademark East Africa as increasingly vocal on removing trade barriers and named English Point Marina as an example of substantial investment in Mombasa.
None of these statements in the 2014 article are corroborated by later documentation. No post-2014 developments at Berbera Port are covered, and the alleged golden opportunity is not substantiated with project-specific evidence, investment commitments or comparative data.
Frequently asked questions
What specific challenges facing East African ports were reported in 2014?
The Somaliland Sun reported complaints of “arrogance”, “complacency” and “indifference” at Mombasa port, plus concerns from the World Bank Vice-President for Africa and Ugandan MPs about inefficiencies.
What advantages did the 2014 report attribute to Berbera?
The report did not provide specific advantages for Berbera. It stated that ports across the region, including Berbera, were in enormous demand, but gave no quantified throughput, capacity utilisation or cargo figures.
Which investors or operators showed interest in Berbera according to the 2014 report?
The 2014 report did not mention any investors or operators with interest in Berbera.