Kenya Ports Authority gains ISO safety and environment marks

July 24, 2026

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has been awarded two international certifications covering environmental management and occupational health and safety across its port facilities.

The awards mark the latest step in a compliance push that began with quality certification in 2010.

The Authority received ISO 14001:2015, covering Environmental Management Systems, and ISO 45001:2018, covering Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Both certifications were presented in Mombasa by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

Esther Ngari, Managing Director of KEBS, said KPA has held ISO 9001 certification for quality management since 2010, and framed the new certifications as an extension of that work into environmental and safety systems.

“Today’s certification to ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 therefore represents a natural progression in KPA’s excellence journey,” she said, adding that the Authority had moved from a quality-only focus to managing quality, environmental performance and occupational safety as integrated strategic priorities.

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Ngari noted that the Port of Mombasa functions as the main gateway for East and Central Africa, and argued that operational improvements at KPA carry knock-on effects for trade corridors serving Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi.

Capt. William Ruto, Chief Executive Officer of KPA, said the certifications reflect over a decade of operational changes at the port. He thanked KEBS for its role in the certification process and said the Authority was “deeply honoured” to receive both awards.

Ruto linked the reforms to the pressures the port faced in the early 2000s. “The reforms we are witnessing were driven by the realities KPA faced in the early 2000s, when rising cargo volumes, outdated infrastructure, manual processes and growing safety and environmental risks threatened the port’s ability to evolve into a more resilient and globally competitive maritime gateway,” he said.

Both officials described the certifications as validation of reforms already underway rather than an endpoint, with further changes expected at the port.