Kisumu Port is poised to set a new performance record this year, with cargo throughput expected to exceed 200,000 tonnes, highlighting its critical role in connecting landlocked nations like Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.

In the first half of 2024, the port handled 125,503 tonnes, a significant rise from 60,910 tonnes in the same period last year, marking a 51.5 percent increase, or 64,592 tonnes, according to Kenya Ports Authority.

The number of vessel calls has also surged, with 116 calls by July, up by 63 from the same period in 2023.

Among the vessels currently at the port is MV Uhuru, loading 22 wagons of steel billets weighing 804.5 tonnes destined for Jinja, Uganda.

Notably, MV Uhuru II, the first ship assembled in Kenya, is set to make its maiden voyage soon, according to Kenya Ports Authority. The vessel, with a capacity of 1,800 tonnes, is equipped to carry both petroleum and bulk dry cargo and boasts modern engines that allow for a cruising speed of 14 knots.

With rising demand for petroleum products in the transit market, another fuel tanker, MT Kabaka Mutebi III, will soon join the fleet operating between Kisumu, Port Bell, and Jinja.

The ongoing expansion of the Kisumu jetty, a multibillion-shilling project, will further enhance the port's capacity to handle petroleum products.

Kenya Pipeline Corporation is also upgrading its systems at the loading bay to enable simultaneous loading for both trucks and vessels.