Kenyatta, Chinese FM inspect and test Sh50bn Kipevu oil terminal

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 6 – President Uhuru Kenyatta and Chinese Foreign minister Wang Thursday inspected and tested Sh50 billion Kipevu oil terminal at the port of Mombasa.

The offshore facility consists of one offshore island terminal with four berths whose total length is 770m.

The oil terminal also consists of a workboat wharf at the Westmont area for landing facilities.

Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director John Mwangemi said the new facility which is faster and more modern has various benefits to the economies of the region.

The terminal, which is being built by China Communication Construction Company and sponsored by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA is expected to guarantee the security of supply for the region and reduce the freight costs owing to improved cargo handling.

It can accommodate up to four boats at once, as opposed to the old one, which can only take one at a time.

Wang, who is on a two-day visit earlier held a bilateral meeting with his Kenyan counterpart Raychelle Omamo and also signed six bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding that is expected to foster relations between the two countries.

The agreements were signed following bilateral talks between the two leaders.

During a joint press conference, CS Omamo said the agreements are fundamental to the development of Kenya saying that the talks were characterized by a mutual desire to develop both countries.

On the issue of agriculture, Omamo said China had donated  10,000 tonnes of rice to families affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

In order to promote trade and reduce the trade deficit, the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a working group that will address tariffs and nontariff barriers between the two countries.