Mr. Ahmed FARAH, Trademark East Africa Kenya Country Director(left) exchanges agreements with Mr. Kiprop BUNDOTICH, Kenya Transporters Association Chairman (right) (Photo:Courtesy)

NAIROBI, Kenya, 13th September 2016 Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) have today signed a partnership agreement to enhance quality and efficiency of road freight transport in Kenya. 

According to an impact assessment study of the Northern Corridor, poor truck turn-around has been attributed to poor cargo off-take and delivery infrastructure, delays by transporters to pick cargo after Port release, delays within transporters facilities, and high frequency of stoppages along the Northern Corridor by drivers. On average, Kenyan trucks are presently doing 60,000 - 96,000 KMs/truck/year driving transport costs to an estimated 30% of the value of traded goods. In the most efficient trade corridors, the average KMs/truck/year is between 120,000 to 150,000 translating into significantly affordable transport and logistics costs of up to an average 4% of the value of traded goods. 

A team of key public and private sectors stake holders operating in Kenya - including Northern Corridor secretariat, KRA, KPA, Kenya Police Service, Ugandan Representative, DRC Representative, Representative of the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, KIFWA and KTA has completed a weeklong survey of the Northern Corridor transit section between Eldoret and Juba. 

Costs erode the competitiveness of goods

“These costs seriously erode the competitiveness of goods exported by East African countries, thus reducing trade, economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction,” reads the TMEA statement. The fund is designed to change this by supporting and adding to existing activities of TMEA. This is expected to reduce transport time in the bloc by 15 per cent come 2016. This shall be done by increasing infrastructure investments and adopting modern methods of management.

KTA participates in the Northern Corridor survey between Mombasa and Kampala

A team of key Northern Corridor public and private sectors stakeholders has completed a 12 day long survey of the Northern Corridor transit section between Mombasa and Kampala.

The Northern Corridor encompasses the transport infrastructure and equipment served by the Port of Mombasa and used by the traffic to and from the territories of the contracting parties namely Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC and now South Sudan and other neighboring states.