The Kenya Port Authority and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) are organizing a five-day training on modern port management. The programme aims to improve the skills of managers, while increasing traffic increases operational efficiency requirements.
Held from 12 to 16 October 2026 in Kilifi, on the Kenyan coast, UNCTAD's TrainForTrade coaching workshop brings together port managers around modern management practices. The initiative is conducted with the Kenya Port Authority (Kenya Ports Authority, KPA).
This includes operations management, international trade, trade and financial aspects, performance measurement, environmental sustainability and human resource development. The programme also provides for exchanges of experience with professionals from international port networks.
According to KPA's Director General, William Ruto, eight executives have already completed various training modules and 38 others are expected to participate. Trained managers are asked to pass on their knowledge to their teams in order to disseminate the skills within the port authority.
The case studies and work carried out during the programme should also help identify solutions to operational difficulties, improve decision-making and improve the quality of service to users.
Training takes place in a context of increasing freight and container traffic at the port of Mombasa, Kenya's main maritime entry point and gateway to markets in East and Central Africa.
This increases the skill needs to manage operations, meet the expectations of shipping companies and limit supply chain difficulties. The port of Lamu also presents development prospects for logistics, industrial and energy activities, according to KPA.
Mark Assaf, Head of the Human Resources Development Section at UNCTAD, stressed the importance of continuing training in the face of developments in the sector, including the digitization of port operations. It also encouraged Kenya to better mobilize its infrastructure and expertise to attract new trading partners.
Through TrainForTrade, UNCTAD supports port communities in developing countries in improving their management practices and sharing knowledge among professionals. The program builds on English-, French- and Spanish-speaking networks bringing together actors from several regions of the world.
