Govt to build world class cruise ship terminal in Mombasa

The government has today (Tuesday) announced plans to construct a world class cruise ship terminal at the port of Mombasa.

Speaking at the port of Mombasa after a closed door meeting with Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Trade Mark East Africa management officials on Tuesday, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala said that the process that is estimated to cost Ksh200m is expected to kick off in October 2016 and be completed by 2017.

Balala also noted that the new terminal which is expected to meet international standards will help the government attract more cruise ships at the port of Mombasa as well as double the number of tourists coming into the country.

The CS added that this came after the Kenya port Authority KPA and Trade Mark East Africa management officials signed a partnership agreement to donate Ksh100 million each towards realisation of the project.

The CS further indicated that over 11,000 cruise ships docked at the port of Mombasa between December last year and March 2016, further expressing optimism that the country has more opportunities to increase the number before the end of the year.

The port Mombasa lacks a cruise terminal for welcoming visitors or a resting area for those connecting to other destinations.