I would expect the wealthiest nation on earth to naturally have some advantages over a third world country like Kenya. More resources, education, infrastructure, etc...
The point of naming those ports is to put the inefficiency of US ports into context for the lay-reader.
> I would expect the wealthiest nation on earth to naturally have some advantages over a third world country like Kenya. More resources, education, infrastructure, etc...
Indeed. I had the pleasure of standing on the bridge [1] of a freighter in Tanga once as cement was loaded. (Tanga is a port roughly halfway between Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.) They didn't have containers or cranes. They loaded the cement by sliding bags down a ramp, covering their mouths with shirts to reduce dust inhalation.
Mombasa and Dar must be more modern than Tanga, as they are on a list of container ports. Still, I would expect them to be far behind California in terms of infrastructure.
[1] edit: actually, quarter deck, maybe? It wasn't the enclosed part. I don't know ship terms.
The point of naming those ports is to put the inefficiency of US ports into context for the lay-reader.