Lead image for Why safe shipping matters more than ever in EA trade .
We often judge the strength of a trading economy by the efficiency of its ports, transport corridors, and supply chains. Increasingly, however, its resilience will be measured just as much by how effectively it manages risk along the journey.
As Kenya strengthens its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, protecting the movement of goods is becoming as important as moving them. Every shipment carries investment, commercial commitments, and future growth. When disruption occurs, the consequences rarely end with cargo alone.
That reality matters because around 80 per cent of global trade by volume moves by sea, making maritime transport the backbone of international commerce. For Kenya, the significance is even greater. In 2025, the Port of Mombasa handled a record 45.45 million tonnes of cargo and 2.11 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), reinforcing its position as the principal gateway for trade into Kenya and much of East and Central Africa.
Every container entering Kenya represents more than an import transaction. It supports manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, infrastructure projects, and thousands of jobs that depend on the uninterrupted flow of trade.
For manufacturers importing machinery, hospitals relying on pharmaceutical supplies and retailers sourcing products from global markets, the uninterrupted movement of cargo is fundamental to business continuity. Yet every shipment carries not only commercial value but also commercial risk. Delays, theft, damage, adverse weather and geopolitical disruptions can interrupt operations and expose businesses to losses that extend far beyond the value of the goods themselves.
Marine cargo insurance
It is against this backdrop that Kenya's evolving marine cargo insurance reforms deserve attention. Since the enforcement of the digital marine cargo insurance framework on 1 July 2026, importers are now required to obtain locally underwritten marine cargo insurance through Kenya's integrated digital trade and customs ecosystem before cargo clearance.
The reforms are intended to strengthen compliance, retain marine insurance business within the domestic market, and integrate risk management more closely into the country's trade processes. Beyond these immediate objectives, they also raise a broader question: what do these reforms mean for the future of business resilience and trade in Kenya?