Focus CFS breaking new ground in freight industry

By EUGENE OMILO

While Kenya’s dream of operating a 24 hour economy has remained partly elusive over a number of concerns to the business community, a player in the Container Freight station industry has dared to lead the pack in venturing into round the clock operations.

Focus Container Freight Station in Mombasa’s Kipevu area is yet unrivalled in terms of longer working hours as it is the only CFS operating nonstop.

With a yard measuring 12,000 square meters coupled with an additional 10,000 square meters worth of storage area in two warehouses, Focus CFS has distinguished itself as an emerging market leader in logistics.

The firm is involved in movement of containerized cargo, motor vehicle units handling and receiving deconsolidated cargo, inventory and distribution.

The General Manager Ms. Saada Hamid notes that the CFS’s proximity to the Port literary makes it an extension of the Container terminal at the Port, a fact that she says gives her firm a competitive edge.

In addition to the storage which easily handles a capacity of 5,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs),  the firm has invested in three new Reach Stackers  with four full time operators making service delivery to be quick.

The turnaround time for trucks at the facility is so high, Ms. Hamid says her firm utilizes a mere one fifth of the company’s total output capacity.

She concurs with the CFSA chairman Mr. Meshack  Kipturgo that  with the kind of facilities that most CFS’s have invested in and the underutilized capacity of most others, it is time the Kenya Revenue Authority releases transit cargo for clearing by CFS’s.

“This  will more so work with the CFS’s that are closest to the port,” she says.

She further explains that it is not logical to have the port congested with Transit cargo when most CFS’s remain underutilized.

Mr. Abdi Mohamed who is the Administration Manager at the facility says the company has categorized its clients in two batches, the KPA nominated clients and the Direct clients.

The Direct clients, he explains, enjoy premier rates that include additional free days over and above the nominal four free days.

“This way, our services are more flexible as opposed to being fixed and we are open to negotiate rates with our clients,” he says.

The two decried the inefficiency at the port and the poor road network around the port area which they say directly affects service delivery to their clients.

Ends…