Kenyan forwarders and agents have been reduced by half over four years, and many survivors find little business left in the face of modern practices and stringent customs regulations.
The Kenya International Freight & Warehousing Association (KIFWA) blame the losses on the major shipping lines, and the inability by some firms to cope with stringent customs regulations and suspensions by KRA due to malpractices.
From over Kenyan 1,500 agents in 2004, there are 750 today of which 350 are in Mombasa.
Major importers have also formed in-house entities to clear their imports and exports dealing a further blow to the volume of business for agents.
"We have lost a lot of business to major shipping lines. The shipping lines have gone out of their way to open fully fledged divisions of clearing and forwarding," said Peter Mambembe, vice-chairman of Kifwa, which represents smaller agents.
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