Strengthening East Africa’s Trade Gateway Through Evidence-Based Reform
Mr. John Mathenge, Technical Advisor to the FEAFFA Board, (Photo/ Courtesy)
By Andrew Mwangura
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The participation of Mr. John Mathenge, Technical Advisor to the FEAFFA Board, in the Mombasa Port and Northern Corridor Community Charter Impact Assessment Study Validation Workshop represents a pivotal moment for East Africa’s trade infrastructure development.
Convened by the Kenya Maritime Authority, this gathering of key stakeholders underscores the critical importance of evidence-based policy making in enhancing regional logistics competitiveness.
The Northern Corridor serves as East Africa’s economic lifeline, facilitating trade flows that sustain millions of livelihoods across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This 1,700-kilometer trade artery handles approximately 30 million tons of cargo annually, making its efficiency paramount to regional economic prosperity.
The workshop’s focus on validating impact assessment findings reflects a mature approach to infrastructure governance, where decisions are grounded in empirical evidence rather than assumptions.
For the regional logistics sector, this initiative signals a transformative shift toward systematic performance monitoring and continuous improvement.
The freight forwarding industry, which FEAFFA represents as the apex regional body, has long advocated for streamlined processes that reduce dwell times, eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, and enhance cargo predictability.
The validation of impact assessment findings provides the sector with credible data to support targeted interventions that directly address operational challenges.
The significance of this workshop extends beyond immediate logistics concerns to encompass broader regional economic integration objectives.
The East African Community, COMESA, and other regional economic blocks have prioritized trade facilitation as a cornerstone of their integration strategies.
Efficient corridor operations directly support these ambitions by reducing transaction costs, improving market access, and fostering intra-regional trade.
The evidence generated through this assessment process provides these organizations with concrete metrics to measure progress toward their trade facilitation goals.
The timing of this initiative aligns strategically with the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation, which seeks to create a single continental market for goods and services.
The AFCFTA’s success depends heavily on efficient trade corridors that can handle increased cargo volumes while maintaining service quality.
The Northern Corridor’s performance optimization through evidence-based reforms positions East Africa to capitalize on expanded continental trade opportunities.
The lessons learned from this assessment methodology could serve as a template for other African trade corridors seeking similar improvements.
International best practices demonstrate the transformative potential of systematic corridor performance monitoring.
The Port of Rotterdam’s digitalization initiatives have reduced vessel turnaround times by 20 percent through real-time data analytics and predictive maintenance systems.
Similarly, Singapore’s port efficiency stems from continuous performance monitoring and stakeholder feedback mechanisms that inform policy adjustments.
In the Global South, Brazil’s Santos Port modernization program utilized comprehensive impact assessments to guide infrastructure investments that doubled cargo handling capacity while reducing environmental impacts.
The Hamburg-Hannover freight corridor in Germany exemplifies how evidence-based planning can enhance multimodal connectivity.
Through systematic assessment of rail, road, and inland waterway integration, German authorities identified specific bottlenecks and implemented targeted solutions that improved overall corridor efficiency by 15 percent.
These examples underscore the universal applicability of rigorous impact assessment methodologies in driving logistics sector improvements.
For FEAFFA and its member organizations, the workshop outcomes will provide actionable intelligence to advocate for specific policy reforms.
The freight forwarding sector requires predictable transit times, transparent procedures, and harmonized documentation processes to serve clients effectively.
Evidence-based findings enable the association to present compelling arguments for regulatory changes that enhance sector competitiveness while supporting broader economic objectives.
The validation process itself represents a commitment to transparency and stakeholder engagement that builds confidence in proposed reforms.
By bringing together diverse perspectives from government agencies, private sector operators, and civil society organizations, the workshop ensures that assessment findings reflect real-world operational challenges and opportunities.
Moving forward, the success of this initiative will be measured not just by the quality of the assessment findings, but by their translation into concrete policy actions and infrastructure investments.
The regional logistics sector stands ready to support implementation efforts that demonstrate measurable improvements in corridor performance.
This collaborative approach to trade facilitation enhancement positions East Africa as a leader in evidence-based logistics sector development, with implications that extend far beyond the immediate corridor catchment area.
The workshop represents more than a technical validation exercise; it embodies a commitment to data-driven decision making that could transform East Africa’s position in global trade networks.
The writer is a policy analyst specializing in maritime governance and blue economy development.
