Efforts to reduce cargo clearance delays at the Port of Mombasa gained significant momentum on Monday after the heads of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) agreed to deepen collaboration through systems integration and technology-driven solutions designed to improve cargo flow and trade efficiency.
KRA Commissioner General Adan Mohamed and KPA Chief Executive Officer Capt. William Ruto said closer cooperation between the two agencies will focus on automation, data sharing and the harmonization of operational processes to eliminate bottlenecks, facilitate seamless cargo movement, reduce delays and enhance service delivery for importers, exporters and other port users.
The commitment comes as both agencies seek to leverage technology to improve cargo clearance efficiency and support growing trade volumes through the country’s premier maritime gateway.
During the meeting, Mohamed commended KPA’s ongoing Smart Gates Project, describing it as a key innovation that will ease traffic congestion around the port and accelerate cargo evacuation.
The two leaders toured KPA’s ongoing gate infrastructure modernization project, where they were briefed on the Smart Gates system, which will automate truck identification and verification, speed up cargo clearance processes and significantly reduce truck turnaround times.
Mohamed said KRA and KPA will continue integrating their systems and embracing technology-driven solutions to enhance cargo processing and support a more efficient logistics chain.
“We are committed to working jointly with other government agencies to streamline operational challenges through systems integration and harmonized processes in order to serve our esteemed clients better,” said Mohamed.
Ruto reaffirmed KPA’s commitment to working closely with KRA and other stakeholders to eliminate operational bottlenecks and strengthen the competitiveness of the Port of Mombasa.
He described the Smart Gates Project as a game changer that will improve operational efficiency, enhance cargo flow and support faster movement of cargo through the port.
“We are working together as one team to address any bottlenecks affecting port operations and make the Port of Mombasa more efficient for all our customers,” said Ruto.
As part of the visit, Mohamed also toured KRA’s cargo scanning facilities and the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) operations.
