Mombasa

American  

[mom-bah-sah, -bas-uh] / mɒmˈbɑ sɑ, -ˈbæs ə /

noun

1. an island in S Kenya.

2. a seaport on this island.

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Mombasa British  

/ mɒmˈbæsə /

noun

1. a port in S Kenya, on a coral island in a bay of the Indian Ocean: the chief port for Kenya, Uganda, and NE Tanzania; became British in 1887, capital of the East African Protectorate until 1907. Pop: 828 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

Between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of tea, worth around $24 million, is stuck at Kenya's port of Mombasa because of the war in the Middle East, trade officials said Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

"Cargo takes an average of 80 hours to move from Mombasa to Malaba and more than 100 hours to reach Kampala," the Ugandan capital, Ruto said.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Much of this comes from the $5 billion Chinese-funded railway linking Mombasa, Nairobi and Naivasha -- Kenya's costliest project since independence.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

According to the AFP news agency, a Mombasa court adjourned his ongoing case earlier this month citing the discovery of new evidence.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025

Twenty-one days after leaving London we steamed into Mombasa, the coastal port of Kenya.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall