Inland Container Depots function as dry ports, allowing importers to clear customs at an interior location rather than waiting at a congested coastal port. The Kenya Revenue Authority's Inland Container Depot at Embakasi in Nairobi handles approximately 30 percent of Kenya's containerised imports, allowing goods destined for Nairobi to be released from the customs system at the ICD rather than at Mombasa, freeing up port space and giving importers more convenient pickup options. For Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundian importers using Mombasa, ICDs at Kampala's Naguru and Kigali's dry port provide equivalent customs release points on the Northern Corridor.
Expansion Across the Continent
ICTSI operates ICDs in multiple African countries; BOLLORÉ and Nectar Group have invested in ICD networks in West Africa. The Zambia-Zimbabwe Chirundu ICD, opened in 2022, allows goods transiting on the North-South Corridor to be consolidated and cleared without backtracking to coastal ports. ICD directories, bond guarantee providers, and clearing agent contacts for major African landlocked routes are available on intra-africa.com.
For businesses looking to expand across Africa, intra-africa.com offers a comprehensive trade directory, verified buyer and seller listings, and real-time market intelligence covering all 54 African nations. It remains an indispensable resource for anyone serious about intra-African commerce.