KPA issues 14-day notice to clear abandoned containers or face destruction
By Ascah Mwango, August 7, 2025Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has issued a 14-day notice to shipping lines to remove or destroy containers that have been lying idle at the Port of Mombasa.
In a statement released on Thursday, August 7, 2025, the authority said the directive follows a recent yard audit conducted as part of an ongoing cleanup campaign aimed at improving efficiency, safety, and space utilisation within the port.
KPA said it has identified several containers still pending destruction despite previous recommendations. The port authority is now requiring shipping lines to either evacuate or make arrangements for the disposal of the containers by the close of business on 14th August 2025.
Kenya Ports Authority has been undertaking a Port clean-up exercise to free the yard areas and to maximise the use of all spaces to enhance safe and efficient operations and service delivery.
Following the yard audit conducted in the Port of Mombasa, the attached is a list of containers still lying at the Port pending destruction as had been recommended,” the statement read.
Adding;
“Shipping lines are hereby notified and required to make arrangements for their destruction and or evacuation from the port premises within 14 days from the date of this Notice, i.e. by close of business on 14th August 2025.”
KPA has warned that if the shipping lines fail to comply, it will proceed to destroy or remove the containers without further consultation, and at the owners’ cost.
“In the event of your failure to comply with this Notice, the Authority shall undertake the destruction and or removal of the listed containers at your cost, without any further reference to the owners,” the statement added.
This latest directive is part of KPA’s regular operations to decongest the port. Similar notices have been issued in the past, often targeting overstayed or abandoned cargo that hinders the smooth movement of goods. In April 2024, for example, a similar cleanup exercise was carried out to reclaim yard space and maintain orderly port operations.
Port of Mombasa is East Africa’s busiest seaport and a key gateway for imports and exports in the region. Abandoned containers not only take up valuable space but also create safety concerns and delay logistical operations.