Faridah Kulabako & Walter Wafula
11 November 2009
Ugandan importers have expressed concern over the increasing theft of cargo containers by a "mafia agent" at Kenya's Mombasa Port. Mr Didymus Byenkya, the assistant managing director of Ataco Freight Services in Uganda, said: "In the last 2-3 months, about 100 containers have been stolen by a mafia agent who has not been arrested."
Mr Byenkya raised the concern at an importers and exporters meeting organised by Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), in Kampala last week. The theft of containers, according to him, came to the limelight following the mysterious disappearance of a Ugandan bound container. In an interview with the Daily Monitor on Monday, Mr Byenkya named Aluaojo Freight & Forwarding company along Moi Avenue in Mombasa, as one of the mafia agents.
KPA has since suspended the company from operating at the port. The lost container was, however, discovered and is still held by Kenyan authorities as an exhibit to aid in investigations to trace the suspects. "We appeal to you (KPA) to increase security at the port and curb the practice," said Mr Byenkya. He also requested the authority to release the container that has helped them trace other lost containers. The theft of containers, the freight expert said, was costing them business. "If a client's container gets lost, he will not give you business, he takes it to another agent," he said.
KPA Managing Director James Mulewa attributed the loss of containers to the use of dishonest briefcase clearing agents by Ugandan traders. "These are guys that divert cargo to different destinations after leaving the port. There is no container that leaves the port mysteriously," he said. He said up-to 6,000 containers have been cleared at the port but are still lying at the port premises.
Meanwhile, Eng. Joseph Atonga, the chief port operations manager of KPA, has said the port has abolished scanning, verification and inspection charges, imposed on importers and exporters. The fees amount to $75 (about Shs140,000) and $110 (Shs206, 000) for a 20 and 40 foot container, respectively. Eng. Atonga said the removal, which was effected in October, was in response to pleas by the business community.
The port of Mombasa, which is a prime gateway to the East African countries, Eastern Congo and South Sudan last year recorded an increase in cargo amounting to 16.4 million tonnes, up from about 16 million tonnes in 2007. About a quarter of the business was transit cargo to Uganda, which accounts for nearly 80 per cent of non-Kenya bound cargo.
However, between January and September 2009, transit traffic declined by slightly more than 64,400 tons to reach 3.4 million tons. According to KPA, the decline was registered as a result of a reduction in both exports and imports through the port.
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