Wednesday, August 08, 2012
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenya's main port ofMombasa, east and central Africa's main gateway will build a $21.4 million security system to safeguard the port fromemerging threats of terrorism and pirates, managing director Gichiri Ndua said on Tuesday.
The project, jointly funded by the World Bank and Kenya, isintended to enhance security at the port by beefing up both landand sea surveillance, and improve screening of containers tocheck against counterfeit goods, drugs and other contraband.
"We recognise security at the port as key to our business... we needed a system that would put virtually every activityat the port under central watch, and make it completelyimpossible for anybody to contemplate mischief anywhere aroundthere," Ndua told Reuters.
"The port has been accused ...of being an entrance forillegal drugs and weapons into the country. This newstate-of-the-art security system will be sorting that out aswell." The security project is being implemented by an Israelicompany, Magal Security Systems, and is expected to be completedby March 2013, Ndua said.
The port's container traffic grew 24 percent in the firsthalf of 2012, helped by improved cargo handling and astabilising global economy, its operator said last month. The port will start handling higher volumes by the end ofthis year after the completion of a new 5 billion shilling($59.31 million) berth.
Source: Reuters