Diplomatic Worries Over Port of Mombasa Surcharge
South Sudan’s government says Kenya’s newly introduced USD5,000 security levy on every South Sudan-bound container risks choking bilateral commerce. Juba officials fear mounting queues at Mombasa port could interrupt the landlocked nation’s fuel, cement and food supplies, heightening inflationary pressures already felt after years of conflict.
Inside Juba’s Emergency Trade Meeting
Trade and Industry Minister Atong Kuol Manyang convened ministers, customs chiefs and private-sector leaders in Juba to frame a response. She told colleagues the surcharge is “an unfair burden on our traders” and urged urgent diplomacy to restore fluid transit along the Northern Corridor. (The Kenya Times)
Business Voices Fear Supply Shock
South Sudan Chamber of Commerce chair Ladu Lukak warns that routing cargo through Nairobi adds hundreds of dollars per container, costs that eclipse some goods’ market value. Importers report demurrage bills piling up while shop shelves empty, eroding fragile consumer confidence only months after modest post-pandemic recovery.
Nairobi’s Rationale and Regional Fee Gap
Kenyan officials say the levy funds enhanced security escorts and digital tracking across a 1,200-kilometre corridor vulnerable to theft. Yet South Sudanese counterparts note Uganda-bound containers pay USD1,500, and Kenyan domestic cargo only USD1,000, a discrepancy they deem inconsistent with East African Community principles of non-discrimination.
Toward A Mutually Beneficial Deal
Vice-President James Wani Igga has tasked the Ministries of Trade, Finance and Transport with crafting a unified negotiating brief before an expected Nairobi mission. Analysts in Juba argue that transparent fee structures and streamlined customs would benefit both economies, lowering import costs while safeguarding Kenya’s revenue and security goals.