French maritime giant CMA-CGM signed a strategic partnership in May 2026 worth €700 million to modernise and expand the Port of Mombasa, cementing Kenya's position as the indispensable logistics hub for all of East Africa.
CMA-CGM's largest African investment
Signed on 10 May 2026, the agreement between CMA-CGM and Kenyan port authorities represents the French group's largest private African investment in maritime transport. The €700 million envelope funds modernisation of existing container terminals and construction of new capacity for post-Panamax vessels. The port currently handles 2.1-2.3 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalents) per year.
A gateway for five landlocked nations
Mombasa serves as the maritime gateway for five landlocked nations: Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. By upgrading this logistics node, CMA-CGM strengthens its position across the entire East African commercial corridor, directly linked to trade generated by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The investment is described as «France's most ambitious private sector offensive in African maritime transport», amid intensifying competition from Chinese and Emirati operators advancing across continental port infrastructure.
Why it matters
For Indian Ocean operators, a stronger Mombasa means more direct and potentially lower-cost connections to East African markets. Kenya's port modernisation is part of a broader restructuring of the region's maritime routes: whoever controls the ports controls the trade flows. A critical development to track for Mauritius, Madagascar and Réunion exporters engaged in African markets.
Source: Afrik-Inform — May 2026