CMA CGM has committed USD 820 million to modernize and expand two container terminals at the Port of Mombasa, under a formal cooperation agreement with the Government of Kenya. The agreement was signed on the margins of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi—co-hosted by France and attended by French President Emmanuel Macron—earlier this week.
Having operated in Kenya since 2005, CMA CGM stated that the investment will significantly increase the port’s cargo-handling capacity, reinforce key regional trade corridors, and strengthen Kenya’s integration into global maritime networks amid rising demand for seaborne trade.
The terminal upgrades are expected to accommodate growing import and export volumes, enhance end-to-end supply chain efficiency, and consolidate Mombasa’s role as a strategic regional trade hub serving domestic, East African, and international markets. Improved port operations will also support the development of inland logistics linkages connecting Kenya to landlocked countries in East and Central Africa—including Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As East Africa’s largest and most consequential port, Mombasa handled 2.11 million TEUs in 2023, reflecting a 5.5% year-on-year increase. Current operational data indicate the port is operating at approximately 95% of its designed capacity.
This initiative aligns with Kenya’s national infrastructure modernization strategy, which prioritizes public-private partnerships (PPPs) for port development. In April 2025, the National Treasury confirmed plans to advance PPP-based upgrades at both the Port of Mombasa and the Lamu Port, to be financed through long-term infrastructure bonds targeted at institutional investors—including pension funds and insurance companies.
CMA CGM’s Mombasa investment follows the recent establishment of its African regional headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Over the past several years, the Group has undertaken major port infrastructure projects across Africa, including the Kribi Container Terminal (Cameroon), the Lekki Deep Sea Port (Nigeria), and the new deepwater terminal in Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo).
Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wXbZlgHtzLvMlBMMTFNn6Q