The High Court has blocked the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) from enforcing its newly announced service tariffs, which were set to take effect on September 15, 2025, halting the agency’s plans to boost revenue.
Justice Jairus Ngaah granted the Container Freight Station Association of Kenya (CFS) permission to seek legal remedies against the revised charges.
“The grant of leave herein does operate as a stay of the respondent’s decision contained in the Tariff Book 2025 pending hearing and determination of the substantive notice of motion,” Justice Ngaah ruled.
KPA unveiled the new fees in August, replacing rates that have been in place since 2012. The changes cover a broad range of services, including marine operations, ship dues, stevedoring, shore handling, wharfage, storage, and other general charges.
Notably, wharfage is a port fee applied to cargo as it moves through port facilities. Under the revised schedule, trucking fees at the Mombasa port will jump from Sh3,000 to Sh15,000, and clearing and forwarding agents will now pay an annual licence fee of Sh38,746.84 ($300).
The CFS association is challenging several aspects of the Tariff Book 2025.
The group wants the court to nullify clause 15.5, contest the application of shore handling charges on container freight station cargo, and block the new stevedoring and wharfage rates, as well as the “dirty cargo surcharge.”
The lobby argues that clause 15.5 gives preferential tariff treatment to inland container depots while excluding CFSs, even though both are registered customs areas under the East African Community Customs Management Act.
