The Governments of Kenya and Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Kigali on 22 to fully operationalize the Kenya Ports Authority's liaison office in Rwanda's capital, cementing an institutional framework that has already eased cargo clearing operations for Rwandan businesses engaged in maritime trade. The ceremony brought together senior officials from both nations: Kenya's Principal Secretary of the State Department for Transport, Mr. Mohamed Daghar, and Rwanda's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure, CPA Canoth Manishiwe, presided over the signing.
Rwanda relies on the Port of Mombasa as its primary maritime gateway, and the volume data underscores why formalizing the Kigali office has become a policy priority. Transit throughput through the port expanded by 22% in 2025, reaching 839,366 metric tons—an increase of 156,107 metric tons over the 683,259 metric tons recorded in 2024. KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto pointed to the authority's ongoing investments in port capacity, workflow optimization, and service standards as part of the response to climbing demand from transit markets like Rwanda.
PS Manishimwe described the MOU as a positive step toward strengthening bilateral relations, noting that the Kigali liaison office has already made it easier and more efficient for Rwandan businesses to access maritime trade routes through coordinated cargo documentation and transit scheduling. For Principal Secretary Daghar, the agreement reflects both nations' commitment to anchoring East Africa's maritime and inland logistics corridors within a structured bilateral architecture.
"The operationalization of the Kigali office reflects the two nations' determination to support seamless cargo movement and promote competitive trade across the region," Daghar stated at the ceremony. Beyond the two senior officials, the signing drew Kenya's Deputy High Commissioner Nasser Okoth, KPA Director Beatrice Nyamoita, General Manager of Corporate Services Edward Kamau, and Manager of Contracts and Conveyancing Robert Warui. The formalized liaison office now provides freight forwarders, shipping lines, and traders using Mombasa as their entry point with a dedicated bilateral coordination mechanism, reducing transactional friction along the Northern Corridor and positioning Rwanda as an inland gateway with structured institutional support from KPA.