Construction of the first berth at the Sh74.51 billion Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone project in Mombasa has reached 16 per cent, with the Kenya Ports Authority saying the works are ahead of schedule.
The Dongo Kundu development comprises several components, including the construction of seven berths, roads, railway infrastructure, electricity and water systems, as well as the Mombasa Special Economic Zone.
Speaking during the inspection of the ongoing works, Transport Principal Secretary Mohamed Daghar said the first berth, being implemented by KPA, will have a quay length of 300 metres and a depth of 15 metres, allowing it to handle large vessels, including Post-Panamax ships.
“The project cost of this particular flagship project is Sh74.51 billion, approximately Sh75 billion. KPA, as the implementing agency, will construct the first of the seven berths, with a quay length of 300 metres, enabling big shipping vessels, including Panamax vessels, to anchor here at the Port of Mombasa,” Daghar said.
The port component of the project is estimated at Sh41.1 billion, according to KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto.
Capt Ruto said Berth One is currently 16 per cent complete and that construction is progressing ahead of schedule.
“The contractor is on course and is currently at around 16 per cent, which is ahead of schedule. With all these multi-agencies and the seriousness that the government is giving this project, we want to deliver it within the timelines that we were given, or even earlier,” Ruto said.
Dredging works for the berth are also about 75 per cent complete, with Ruto saying the facility will be capable of handling containerised cargo, general cargo, bulk cargo and car carriers.
The berth will be supported by a large yard for cargo handling and is being constructed with infrastructure designed to accommodate future expansion.
The wider Dongo Kundu development covers approximately 3,000 acres, with 1,300 acres allocated to the berth and 1,700 acres set aside for the Mombasa Special Economic Zone.
PS Daghar said the project also includes 4.6 kilometres of road, a 2.8-kilometre ramp and internal roads within the Special Economic Zone.
The government is also constructing a 51-kilometre electricity transmission line from Mariakani to Dongo Kundu through the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO).
The power infrastructure will include a 220kV double-circuit transmission line, two 75MVA transformers and a dedicated substation within the Special Economic Zone.
Water will be supplied from three boreholes sunk in Tiwi, Kwale County, while plans are also underway to connect the area to the Mwache Dam water supply system.
The Special Economic Zone will also be connected to the Standard Gauge Railway, with dedicated sidings planned to serve individual factories and link the industrial area to the wider Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba railway corridor.
Daghar said the zone had already attracted several investors, with Taifa Gas, a Tanzanian company, setting up a gas plant.
Other investors are planning to establish steel, glass and pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, while 94 applications have been received from investors interested in setting up businesses within the zone.
“This is a very special economic zone because it is supported by all means of transport. It has the berth that I have spoken about, which will be able to bring in goods and, most importantly, increase our export throughput,” Daghar said.
He said the government was putting in place the necessary infrastructure to attract investors and position Dongokundu as an industrial and logistics hub.
Daghar said the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) was among the major investors expected to support industrial development in the zone, with an investment of about $1 billion.
Meanwhile Captain Ruto said more than 700 Kenyans are currently employed at the berth construction site, with the number expected to increase as the works progress.
He said more than 2,000 workers could eventually be engaged in the construction of the berth, while the wider Special Economic Zone is expected to create more than 40,000 jobs once fully operational.
Joseph Ngaira Busiega, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, said the project was being treated as a multi-agency priority following President William Ruto’s directive to address financial, land, water and electricity challenges affecting its implementation.
Ngaira said the development would integrate different modes of transport and create wider opportunities in manufacturing and logistics.
“This is a classic and unique project that brings air, road, sea and land together. This is the modern way of doing things,” Ngaira said.
He said the government expected the development to have multiplier effects on the economy through employment creation and manufacturing.
Daghar said the project was part of the government’s efforts to position Kenya as an industrialised nation and a regional logistics hub, adding that regular inspections would be conducted to ensure the various components are delivered within the set timelines.