Transit cargo freight charges up

Charges for transit cargo freight have gone up substantially over the last few months. Importers who were paying Ksh 319,407 for a 40" container (or Ksh12, 281per tonne) last year are now paying Ksh 383,288 to transport cargo from Mombasa to Kampala.  Mombasa serves as a feeder port of the land-locked countries within the greater East African region. This rise in charges has been attributed to increased activity arising from relief food imports. Recently, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) loosened rules stopping trucks with transit licences from transporting local cargo to enable the government and other relief supply agencies reach famine-stricken parts of the country quickly.