2.5 Kenya Waterways Assessment | Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments

Company Information
Travel Time Matrix
Key Routes
Port Information

Kenya Waterways

Most of the goods in Kenya are land transported; there is almost no role for internal waterway vectors with the only exception of Kisumu Port, on Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria ferries operate from the port link the railway to Mwanza, Bukoba, Entebbe, Port Bell and Jinja. The Kenya Railways operates the inland waterway service on Lake Victoria for the movement of both freight and passengers.

The Port of Kisumu is located on the eastern corner of Lake Victoria and connects with Kendu Bay, Kuwur, Homa Bay, Mbita and Mfangano. The optimum container capacity is 200 TEUs of 40 mt per day. The berth is 15 m with a draught of 3 m maximum. Operating hours of the port (acceptance of cargo) are from 08:00 to 18:00 hrs per day.

At the water border entry point of Kisumu, customs entry into Kenya documents can be established, though it is advisable that all required documentation for customs clearance be ready, by the client or its appointed C&F agent, prior to departure of cargo from the point of origin so to avoid possible cargo clearance delays.

Kenyan Railways operates one wagon ferry between Jinja and Port Bell (Uganda), Mwanza, Musoma (Tanzania) and Kisumu for interstate movement of wagons and trucks, supplementary to rail and road traffic through Malaba.

Company Information

For more information, please see the following link: 4.4 Kenya Port and Waterways Companies Contact List

There are 5 freight ferries in operation in Lake Victoria and each can carry up to 22 wagons:

M/V Uhuru: Operated by Kenya Railways, has a capacity of 1,200 mt and is over 40 years old
M/V Kabalega, M/V Pamba & M/V Kaawa: Operated by Uganda Railways and are all about 20 years old
M/V Umoja: Operated by Tanzania Railways and is about 40 years old

Passenger Carrying Capacity
	COMPANY A	COMPANY B	COMPANY C
Number of Passenger Vessels < 20 pax
Number of Passenger Vessels < 50 pax
Number of Passenger Vessels < 100 pax
Number of Passenger Vessels > 100 pax

Passenger Carrying Capacity
	COMPANY A	COMPANY B	COMPANY C
Number of Boats
Tonnage / Volume Carrying Capacity
Number of Barges
Tonnage / Volume Carrying Capacity
Number of Tugs
Tonnage / Volume Carrying Capacity
Other (specify)

Travel Time Matrix

The transit time between the Port of Kisumu in Kenya and Port Bell in Uganda is approximately 14 – 15 hours. Normally there are 3 – 4 services per week. The approximate distance between Kisumu and Port Bell is 270 km. Kisumu to Mwanza on the Tanzania side takes approximately 18 – 19 hours.

Travel Time from main port to other major ports (hours / days) VESSEL TYPE
	Main port	Port A	Port B	Port C	Port D	Port E	Port F
Main port
Port A
Port B
Port C
Port D
Port E
Port F

Key Routes

Key Route Information Domestic / International
	From: To:	From: To:	From: To:
Total Distance (km)
Width (m): Broadest Narrowest
River Flow (m³ / second)
Seasonal Affects
Maximum Weight and Size of Vessels
Regular Traffic Passenger / Cargo
Companies Operating Along the Route
Security Concerns (Yes / No)
Main Ports

Port Information

Key Port Information
	Port Name	Port Name	Port Name
Location
Contact Information
Connections with other transport means (road/waterways/air)
Storage Capacity (square meters and cubic meters)
Handling Equipment
Customs Clearance Available (Yes / No)
Other Comments

Vessel Specifications
Use of wagon ferries of about 1,200 mt capacity and passenger vessels.

Weather and Other Constraints
Provided that wagons are weatherproof there are no weather constraints. Navigation equipment has not been working since 2004 so operations depend on vessel's navigation aids. Problems related to the presence of hyacinths (fast growing lake weed) in the water obstruct lake transport.