Kampala — KEN Group, a local manufacturer, is locked in a bitter wrangle with Threeways shipping company and Kenya Ports Authority over the loss of their cargo worth $100,000 (sh180.8m).

The company accuses the shipping company and KPA of erroneously releasing four of its containers loaded with scholastic raw materials to another company.

The CEO of Ken group, Edward Kigongo, said Threeways was contracted to ship six containers. However, only two containers were delivered and four went missing from the port on September 10.

"Without my consent, Threeways went to KPA requesting to change the mode of transport to road and it (Threeways) later changed to rail. It is in this confusion that my cargo went missing," explained Kigongo adding that it took the agent seven working days to notify him about the loss.

After the containers went missing, Threeways wrote an e-mail to Ken group on September 15, asking if they had contracted another agent to ship four of his containers containing building tiles from Mombasa to Kampala.

Kigongo explained, "on September 12 Kanyerezi called me from Threeways asking me if my tiles were delivered and I told him that I don't import tiles."

On September 17, the agent wrote to the importer saying that his cargo was cleared and taken by Jolse limited a Nairobi based company. The letter further states that the cargo was loaded on truck number KAV647J belonging to Manchu Transervices and KAZ 387Z owned by Gichuri Logistics Enterprises, all Kenyan companies.

David Mugarama, the Threeways country representative based in Kenya alleged that Jolse made customs entry against theirs and that someone using port pass GO49049 was allowed to access their clients' accounts.

Threeways, however, blames KPA of negligence and wants the port authority to be held accountable for the loss of the cargo.

T810 was lodged by Threeways making the cargo bonded and it required the agent to process the second document T812 for the release of the cargo. However, under unclear circumstances T812 was allegedly processed by Jolse who cleared and carried the cargo away.