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November 30, 2018

Ports of the World: Mombasa, Kenya

The east coast of Africa is an exciting and beautiful coast and on that coast is Mombasa.

To really appreciate the port you must first have a feeling for its location coming inland. Going over the Ethiopian highlands you suddenly go down to lowlands and the great rift valley opens up. Here you have an abundance of wildlife – elephants, lions, giraffes and leopards. From the air you can see on the coast a big island, 15km2, in a bay - Mombasa.

Mombasa was founded by Arab traders in the 11th century. Vasco da Gama came here in 1498. With its strategic position, the city was continually fought over by Arabs, Persians, the Portuguese and Turks. In 1840 the Sultan of Zanzibar gained control. In 1895 it became a British protectorate and in 1928 it became a municipality.

To reach the port from the Indian ocean you go straight ahead towards the island and Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1595. If you go starboard to the island you enter the old port, today used by dhows and smaller craft. Going port you reach the main port. Further into the bay is Kilindini, the main container terminal and where cruise ships call. It is the only international port in Kenya and the biggest port in East Africa.

Today Mombasa is a booming port with main exports including coffee, tea, canned fruits, and titanium and two oil terminals handling crude oil. Two elephant tusks in the city form a gate towards the inland of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Lake Victoria. We are proud to be part of Mombasa with our green drums. This is truly an amazing place!