Mai Mahiu Inland Container Depot Development Advances Amid Private Investment Commitments

Plans for the Mai Mahiu Inland Container Depot (ICD) are moving forward rapidly, as the national government seeks to alleviate sustained cargo congestion at the Port of Mombasa, the principal trade gateway for East and Central Africa.

Investment Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui noted that the establishment of the dry port would facilitate a profound transformation of the surrounding towns into critical commercial and business centres.

Mr. Kinyanjui highlighted that Mai Mahiu is among the key locations identified by Kenya for handling imported freight, a strategy crucial to easing the current operational demands on the Mombasa Port.

The government considers the location vital for future logistics, suggesting that "all cargo that comes from Mombasa from foreign countries... we would want it to come here to Mai Mahiu".

Already, private sector support is evident, with tens of firms pledging billions of shillings to commence their activities adjacent to the planned facility.

From an infrastructure standpoint, the government confirmed that the dry port site is already connected to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linkage. This existing rail connection is designed to ensure direct and efficient transfer of cargo from the coast into the hinterland and towards neighbouring states, including Uganda, Southern Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Complementing the depot development is the planned dualing of the Rironi-Mai Mahiu road corridor. This road works project is seen as essential for improving the movement of both people and freight, addressing a persistent issue of truck bottlenecks that previously caused delays of up to five hours and led to the route being labelled "the most dangerous road".

The ICD project is ultimately forecast to generate over 100,000 employment opportunities. The CS stressed that this comprehensive connectivity will make the area a key hub for industries exporting manufactured goods.