Mombasa city is the nucleus of Kenya’s coastal economy. It is one of the busiest port East and Central Africa, a feeder point through which products are shipped as far as Nairobi, Kisumu, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Congo and Burundi.
New and used containers are shipped in from all over the world and docked at the expansive
Kilindini Harbor. Other harbors available for docking include Harbor Tudor, Port of Reitz, the Mbaraki Wharf as well as the Old Port.
Here, container sales, supply, transport and usage significantly drive enterprising.
Buyers interested in shipping containers in Mombasa can engage seasoned suppliers such as
Premium Containers Kenya.
The company has premises at Miritini right next to Compact Freight Systems.
Even so, Kenya also has axillary ports in Lamu, Kilifi, Mtapa, Shimoni and Malindi.
Container Sales in Mombasa
There are hundreds of depots/terminals in Mombasa where new and used 20ft and 40ft
containers are stored for sale and or interchange.
These freight stations/centers include Great Lakes Port in Jomvu, Compact Freight Systems in
Miritini, Consolbase in Changamwe and Portside Freight Terminals next to Mvita Port.
As far as shipping containers are concerned, price is the most important major factor in
consumer decision making. Buyers use price comparability as a bargaining point all the time
especially because containers are standardized equipment.
On our blog, we’ve compiled an informative piece about price ranges for shipping containers in Kenya that you should check out.
As such, we thought it necessary to research and provide the prices of containers in Mombasa since that’s where the whole container action begin.
This is particularly thanks to years of container operations at Kenya’s coast, economic
knowhow, and market study.
Generally, in Mombasa, an empty used 20ft shipping container cost anywhere from Ksh 200,000 to Ksh 300,000 while an empty used 40ft shipping container will cost anywhere from Ksh 400,000 to Ksh 500,000.
A new 20Ft shipping container will cost anywhere from Ksh 600,000 to Ksh 690,000 and a new 40ft anywhere from Ksh 800,000 to Ksh 890,000.
We’ve also compiled current cost for Reefer containers in Mombasa.
| Container Type/Size | Container Cost in Mombasa (Ksh) |
| New 40Ft Container | 800,000 – 890,000 |
| New 20Ft Container | 600,000 – 690,000 |
| Used 40Ft Container | 400,000 – 490,000 |
| Used 20Ft Container | 200,000 – 290,000 |
| 40ft Reefer Container | 1,300,000 – 1,390,000 |
| 20Ft Reefer Container | 1,200,000 – 1,290,000 |
Note that container prices are generally less costly than the rest of Kenya mainly because of the shipping costs involved.
Container Transportation Cost in Mombasa
In Mombasa, shipping containers are transported by trailer trucks and tractors.
Several companies provide shipping services for residents within and outside Kenya’s coastal
town.
Often, buyers obtain containers in Mombasa and transport them to locations such as Voi,
Malindi, Lamu, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Taita, Taveta, Kwale, LungaLunga and Nairobi.
The costs for transportation vary depending on:
- Type/size of the container:
40Ft will cost more than 20ft - The company transporting the container: Some companies charge slightly higher than others.
- Distance: There are standardized costs within Mombasa and its immediate surroundings. However,
costs increase with distance outside of the city.
The logistical information regarding delivery timelines is a hazy area that lacks conclusive data.
The table below shows prices for transportation of containers within Mombasa as well as from Mombasa to Nairobi (kindly note these prices slightly often vary depending on the company offering the services as well as distance from collection point).
| Container Type/Size | Within Mombasa | Mombasa to Malindi | Mombasa to Lamu | Mombasa to Kwale |
| 40ft Container | 30,000 | 80,000 – 90,000 | 120,000 – 140,000 | 100,000 – 120,000 |
| 20ft Container | 15,000 | 60,000 – 70,000 | 85,000 – 100,000 | 60,000 – 80,000 |
Container Fabrication in Mombasa
Kenya is technologically advanced. This means container fabrication as a technology is available extensively.
Container conversion involves refurbishment into bespoke, modular, practical designs and
thereby adding value to otherwise second-grade equipment. As the primary equipment for fabrication, containers basically form the foundation for refurbishment.
In Mombasa, fabrication companies convert container to designs such as container homes,
offices, commercial stalls, holiday cabins, AirBnBs, holiday camps, cottages, weekend gateways, hotels, restaurants, and more.
Read more about container fabrication in our blog post here.
Container Storage and Warehousing Solutions in Mombasa
If you’ve got a shipping container in Mombasa with nowhere to store it, several companies
offer these services at a fee.
You’ll find storage and warehousing solutions at CFS African Line, Focus CFS, Siginon Freight
Limited, Regional Logistics, Hakika Container Depot among others.
Most companies that offer container storage services provide shipping services as well.
Container Repair/Refurbishment in Mombasa
Sometimes, containers being the heavy, bulky, transportation equipment get involved in
accidents either at sea or inland.
These result from hits and collisions between containers or bumps against the surfaces of the
large ships and sea vessels.
The damages can be minimal with dents to one side or major tears and disfiguration. These
leave the containers with holes, dents, tears, and corrosion.
Experts in container repair offer reshaping, repainting, and sealing services.
Container Houses in Mombasa
Kenya’s coast is known for high temperatures and humidity even in rainy season.
It is why structures are set up with these challenges in mind.
You’ll find shelters with Makuti roofing, wooden, stone and mud walls but with large, glass
doors and windows.
In some cases, homes are fitted with AC units and electric fans. Cooling is absolutely necessary.
Hence, container house construction follows a special recipe to combat the high coastal
temperatures and humidity.
Most are fitted with easy-to-open doors and windows with frames reaching top to bottom.
Like the case conventional houses, AC units as well as fans are fitted at client requests.
Wood, Makuti, Coral and other temperature regulative materials can readily be incorporated
into the container structure to aid with the often extreme weather.
Add the polystyrene/Styrofoam temperature regulation materials that is primarily installed in
container walls and ceilings, and you get a cool, habitable setup ideal for accommodation day and night.
Where roofing is done, the materials vary from the conventional temperature-friendly box
profile roofing sheets to the tech-savvy Makuti.
Container fabrication also covers public facilities such as schools and classrooms, clinics,
restaurants, hotels and motels, commercial stalls and malls, and more.
Yes, thanks to high flexibility, container houses can accommodate a variety of roofing types and designs which is an often underestimated-advantage.
Therefore, as far as container home fabrication is concerned, you have nothing to worry about. This is especially when you work with expert, experienced contractors who know the ins and outs of container home fabrication.