| Kilindini Harbour Mombasa Port | |
|---|---|
 Port of Mombasa | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Location | Mombasa, Mombasa County |
| Coordinates | 4°03′19″S 39°39′07″E / 4.05528°S 39.65194°E |
| UN/LOCODE | KEKIL[1] |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1896 |
| Type of harbour | Natural/Artificial |
| Draft depth | 17.5 m (57 ft) |
| Statistics | |
| Annual cargo tonnage | 14 Million year 2020[2] |
| Website Kenya Ports Authority | |
Kilindini Harbour is a large, natural deep-water inlet extending inland from Mombasa, Kenya. It is 25–30 fathoms (46–55 m) at its deepest center, although the controlling depth is the outer channel in the port approaches with a dredged depth of 17.5 m (57 ft).[3] It serves as the harbour for Mombasa, with a hinterland extending to Uganda. Kilindini Harbour is the main part of the Port of Mombasa, the only international seaport in Kenya and the biggest port in east Africa.[4] It is managed by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). Apart from cargo handling, Mombasa is frequented by cruise ships.
Kilindini is a Swahili term meaning "deep down" or "in the depths"[5] in reference to the depth of the channel. Kilindini Harbor is an example of a natural geographic phenomenon called a ria, formed millions of years ago when the sea level rose and engulfed a river that was flowing from the mainland.
- ^ "UNLOCODE (KE) – KENYA". service.unece.org. UNECE. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "The Changing Face of Kenya's Public Transport System | MegaProjects Kenya". Megaprojects.co.ke. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
- ^ "Port of Mombasa, Kenya". findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Africa's ports: The bottleneck: New investment alone will not fix Africa's ports. Governments need to deal with pilfering officials, too". The Economist. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ "Google Translate". Retrieved 13 December 2022.