Three container freight stations meant to ease port congestion are getting overwhelmed by huge cargo flow.

The stations - Consolbase, Mombasa Container Terminal and Makupa Yard - registered a record balance of 2,600 containers that had not been delivered last week, a situation that is raising concern in the cargo freight industry.

The three container stations, alongside nine others that are specifically designed to handle motor vehicles, are credited with the dramatic reduction of dwell time by those clearing cargo at the port.

They were instrumental in helping Mombasa port cope with the recent congestion crisis precipitated by the political unrest witnessed in December, January, February and March.

Cargo transporters had raised fears that the existing container freight stations (CFSs) might find it difficult to cope with increasing cargo flow.

"The CFSs are meant to enhance quicker delivery of cargo and overall efficiency of the port. They should be able to cope with congestion," said Salim Mbarak, the Mombasa branch secretary of Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA).

His remarks were echoed by another KIFWA executive council member, P. J. Shah, who said "the port should not be seen as if it is transferring its congestion to freight stations".

But Khamisi Twalib, the port's chief operations manager, said the problem facing two container freight stations, Consolbase and Mombasa Container Terminal, was lack of capacity to handle the volume of cargo flowing through them.

Consolbase managing director Fernando Marques said delays experienced at the CFS were occasioned by the arrival of several vessels at the same time, which exerted pressure on their operations.

Mr Marques cited short working hours as one of the main challenges facing the station.

Workers at container freight stations in the country operate within official working hours, laying down tools at 4.30pm.

"As we try our best to serve our customers without delays, an extension of working hours up to 9pm could go a long way in enhancing our capacity," Mr Marques said.

Clearing agents and transporters welcomed this suggestion, saying KPA, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and the government should urgently address the issue.

"We are losing a lot while waiting for cargo. Our movement has gone down by 20 per cent and if the situation continues matters are likely to get out of control," said Ibrahim Pasta, a Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) official.

He called on relevant government agencies to address problems affecting CFSs, even if it meant appointing additional operators or expanding the capacity of existing ones.

Captain Khamis said KPA was consulting with CFS operators to address the shortcomings and ensure that gains made in terms of enhanced port efficiency were sustained.

The three CFSs handle between 10,000 and 18,000 TEUs per week. Additionally, the performance of KRA staff at the main exit, Gate 18, has come under scrutiny following cargo clearance delays of up to four hours.

KTA member Sam Machio blamed the delays on "unnecessary human intervention" instead of using the computer based clearing system.