The Kenya Ports Authority kicked off its plan to modernize its ICT infrastructure following a series of complaints about frequent outages in its cargo clearing systems.
In an article published by Business Daily, the upgrade follows complaints about delays caused by the downtime in ICT-based cargo clearing systems at entry points along the Northern Transport Corridor.
Millennium Solutions East Africa Limited and Next Technologies Limited are the companies said to have been selected to revamp KPA’s ICT systems, including data centers and networks.
Millennium Solutions East Africa Limited was tasked with upgrading servers, storage, and network infrastructure equipment at KPA’s three data centers in Nairobi and Mombasa, whereas Next Technologies Limited was to provide local area network (LAN) infrastructure support and maintenance services.
The LAN network support services will encompass all active and passive equipment across various locations, including the Mombasa and Kenya Ferry campuses, Inland Container Depots (ICDs) campuses in Nairobi, Naivasha, and Kisumu, as well as liaison offices in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. It will also extend to Lamu Port, Shimoni Port, Old Port, and Ras Serani.
In early November, system hitches disrupted the Integrated Custom Management System (iCMS), leading to significant export delays. Tea exporters were particularly affected, with several consignments missing shipment vessels.
“The KRA system downtime has resulted in enormous losses incurred by the tea exporters, and further halting of exports will have negative ripple effects at the Mombasa Tea Auction,” East African Tea Trade Association chairperson Arthur Sawe said after the outage in November, “which may further depress tea prices that have recently shown improvements since the removal of tea reserve prices by the government,” he added.
The iCMS, introduced to streamline customs processes, is said to require exporters and importers to submit documentation into a single-window system 48 hours before a vessel arrives or departs.
Millennium Solutions East Africa Limited provides comprehensive system consultancy and implementation services, covering the design, development, deployment, and support of business applications tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of our clients.
Next Technologies Limited specializes in planning, enabling, and supporting IT infrastructures, offering proactive IT services, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, network infrastructure, and connectivity.
The upgrades to KPA’s ICT infrastructure are a crucial step in addressing the ongoing system outages that have disrupted cargo operations. With significant investments in data centers, network support, and maintenance services, the authority aims to enhance the efficiency of its operations and minimize delays, ensuring smoother trade flows through Kenya’s key ports.
These modernization efforts by Kenya Ports Authority will enhance its role as a critical logistics hub in the region.
