Revenue Authority Moves to Cut South Sudanese Cargo Delays at Mombasa Port

(MOMBASA) – The South Sudan Revenue Authority has held high level talks with Kenyan port and customs officials in Mombasa in a bid to reduce delays affecting South Sudanese cargo and strengthen oversight along the country’s main trade corridor.

The delegation was led by Commissioner General William Anyuon Kuol, who visited the Port of Mombasa on Tuesday to review trade operations, improve coordination, and promote faster clearance of goods bound for South Sudan.

During the visit, Anyuon met with the Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority, Captain William Ruto, and discussed ways to improve cooperation between South Sudanese revenue officers and Kenyan port authorities.

The talks focused on revenue accountability, cargo monitoring, and better coordination to prevent containers destined for South Sudan from overstaying at the port.

Anyuon called on Kenyan authorities to give priority to South Sudanese containers in order to reduce storage costs and financial losses faced by traders.

He said faster handling of cargo would help traders move their goods more quickly and avoid penalties linked to long delays.

The Commissioner General also said South Sudan is preparing to develop ten hectares of land allocated by the Government of Kenya in Naivasha for a dry port facility.

He said the land was granted during the second term of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and that formal handover arrangements are underway.

Anyuon said construction is expected to begin immediately after handover and that the facility could become operational within three to four months.

The planned dry port is expected to ease congestion at the Port of Mombasa, lower storage and demurrage costs, improve cargo tracking and customs compliance, and reduce the risk of goods being auctioned due to long stays at the port.

Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Captain Ruto welcomed the initiative and said Kenya would continue to support South Sudan’s use of the Naivasha Inland Container Depot.

He said Kenyan authorities aim to ensure that South Sudanese importers can track their consignments from Mombasa to their final destination.

He added that the Government of Kenya remains committed to removing non tariff barriers along the Northern Corridor to support regional trade.

According to the Kenya Ports Authority, cargo throughput at the Port of Mombasa reached 45.45 million metric tonnes between January and December 2025, representing an increase of 10.9 per cent compared to the previous year.

KPA data shows that South Sudan ranks third among countries using the port in terms of cargo volume, underlining the country’s growing reliance on Mombasa for imports and exports.

During the visit, Anyuon also met with officials of the Kenya Revenue Authority to discuss revenue monitoring and customs cooperation.

He was accompanied by senior officials from the Customs Revenue Division, Research and Planning Directorate, and the Mombasa regional office of the South Sudan Revenue Authority.

The Authority said the engagements are part of wider efforts to improve trade efficiency, protect traders, and strengthen South Sudan’s revenue system.