French Firm CMA CGM to Invest Sh105 Billion in Mombasa Port Upgrade

France’s CMA CGM has agreed to invest $820 million to modernise and expand two terminals at the Port of Mombasa.

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi earlier this week. Kenya’s President William Ruto and France’s Emmanuel Macron co-hosted the event.

Mombasa handled 2.11 million TEUs last year. That figure represented a 5.5 percent rise from the previous year.

CMA CGM has maintained a presence in Kenya since 2005. The company stated that the investment will increase cargo-handling capacity and reinforce regional trade corridors.

The port serves as East Africa’s largest facility. It connects to landlocked countries that include Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cargo levels have pushed Mombasa close to full capacity. The government responded with reforms that shift the port toward a landlord model.

In April the National Treasury opened several Kenya Ports Authority assets to private investors. These include Mombasa Port Container Terminal II covering berths 20 to 22 and the terminal at berths 23 to 24.

CMA CGM’s project is expected to proceed under this arrangement. The firm described the agreement as part of its broader African strategy focused on port infrastructure, logistics integration and decarbonising transport chains.

The Mombasa commitment follows the recent opening of CMA CGM’s African regional office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The company now operates or develops nine container terminals across the continent.

Its portfolio includes Kribi in Cameroon, Lekki in Nigeria and a new deepwater terminal at Pointe Noire in Congo. In Nigeria it supports a 100 percent electric barge project at the Lekki Deep Sea Port. Similar terminal investments have taken place in Egypt and Morocco.

While the French deal targeted Mombasa another port recorded a milestone this week. Lamu Port received the MV Baltimore Express, the largest containership to dock anywhere in East and Central Africa.

The Post-Panamax vessel measured 369 metres and arrived from Oman’s Salalah port. Lamu’s cargo volume surged more than 900 percent in 2025, climbing from 74,380 tonnes in 2024 to 799,161 tonnes.

Lamu Port General Manager Abdulaziz Mzee said the call underlined the facility’s readiness for ultra-large vessels.

“This call lifts Lamu’s profile on the global maritime map, comparable to some of the world’s most developed ports such as Singapore, Rotterdam, and Hamburg,” said Mr Mzee.

Lamu benefits from a naturally deep harbour. Its first three berths offer 17.5 metres of depth and 400-metre quay lengths.

Mombasa’s berths, by contrast, reach 15 metres deep with 300-metre quays. Lamu can therefore accommodate neo-Panamax ships up to 12,000 TEUs while Mombasa handles vessels up to 10,000 TEUs.

Mr Mzee highlighted the advantage of minimal dredging.

“Lamu Port’s infrastructure specifications and depth allow Panamax and Post-Panamax ships to sail into the channel with minimal or no dredging. Many other African ports require constant dredging to deepen seabeds enough to accommodate mega ships and remain competitive. That’s a plus for us,” said Mr Mzee.