The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has acquired five new state-of-the-art mobile harbor cranes (HMCs) to help boost efficiency at the Mombasa and Lamu ports.

Out of the five HMCs , three will be stationed at the Lamu port and the remaining two at the Mombasa port.

These state-of-the-art HMCs were manufactured in Germany and come at a total cost of $27,207,557.47 (Sh 3.8 BILLION). The cranes which arrived at the Lamu port on Sunday  are expected to enhance operations of the port as they electronically powered to provide more efficiency and reliability.

"This milestone is expected to enhance the capabilities of the Lamu Port, as these electronic-powered HMCs provide more efficiency and reliability compared to the previous hydraulic-powered ones. Each crane has a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes, further expanding the port's capacity for handling larger cargo vessels." reads a statement from KPA.

Adding "The introduction of these new cranes is a positive projection for Lamu Port, as it is anticipated that more vessels will be encouraged to call at the port, attracted by the reliable electronic equipment. This development marks a significant step forward in Lamu's journey to become a major maritime hub in the region.

Last month, KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto revealed that the authority is also expecting other new equipements to boost its operations.

Ruto said they have acquired four new ship-to-shore gantry cranes from China and are expected to arrive  next month (July).

The MD said the new cranes can lift two containers ago, unlike the existing ones that lift one container.

This comes at a time a new report by the World Bank on the efficiency of the ports revealed that the port of Dar in Tanzania has overtaken Mombasa in efficiency.