Last week Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officials and Ugandan business leaders met to discuss future deals involving Kenya’s Mombasa port, New Vision reported. Talks were centered on increasing efficiency and quality assurance as it relates to meeting Uganda’s growing demand.

“We have come here because we know you (Uganda Business Community) form an integral part of the Mombasa port community, Uganda is the second largest user of the Port of Mombasa after Kenya, and as such we must always strive to understand each other and work together for mutual benefit,”  KPA chief Gichiri Ndua said in the report.

Uganda Clearing Industry and Forwarding Association chairman Kassim Omar believes that a serious problem getting in the way of efficiency is the stalling of cargo movement due to bribes, according to New Vision. The association is working to influence KPA’s removal of corrupt officials who participate in under-the-table deals.

The Mombasa port has however seen improvement. A 240 meter berth has been constructed extending the berth is 840 meters in total. The container terminal quay can now service three boats up to 250 meters, New Vision reported.

Though in addition to servicing larger or more boats, KPA still has to configure the mass amounts of containers the port has been handling in comparison to its capacity. The report stated that despite the 250,000 twenty-foot containers that fulfill the port’s capacity, in 2011 700,000 containers were handled.

Fortunately, the construction of a second container terminal is underway and close to completion.

Still cargo dwell time is a hindrance that hasn’t been effectively addressed. KPA released a statement saying they would call customs to cut down on cargo dwell time of which 80 percent is said to be due to customs procedures, New Vision reported.