Daniel K. Tanui is a Kenyan logistics executive who serves as Group Managing Director of Mitchell Cotts Group, one of Kenya’s long-established freight forwarding and cargo handling companies. From the company’s headquarters in Nairobi, Tanui oversees operations that span freight forwarding, aviation cargo handling, logistics infrastructure development, and supply chain services supporting East Africa’s international trade.
Mitchell Cotts traces its origins to the early twentieth century and has evolved into a multi-service logistics provider operating across cargo handling, customs brokerage, and integrated supply chain management. Under Tanui’s leadership, the company has focused on modernising its logistics infrastructure and expanding its role within Kenya’s export economy, particularly through investments in air cargo facilities and special economic zones designed to support industrial production and trade.
A central part of Tanui’s operational oversight is the company’s cargo handling and logistics activities at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, East Africa’s primary air freight hub. The airport processes hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo annually and serves as a gateway for high-value exports such as fresh flowers, vegetables, herbs, and pharmaceuticals destined for markets in Europe and the Middle East. Mitchell Cotts operates within this cargo ecosystem through freight forwarding, ground logistics coordination, and technology-driven cargo management systems that improve shipment visibility and handling efficiency.
In recent years, Tanui has overseen investments aimed at strengthening Kenya’s horticulture export chain. Mitchell Cotts partnered with Perishable Movements Kenya Limited and Fresh Handling Kenya Limited to establish a vacuum-cooling facility at JKIA designed to preserve perishable produce prior to export. The facility, developed at a cost of approximately KSh 30 million, rapidly cools freshly harvested vegetables and flowers, extending shelf life and reducing post-harvest losses that can reach between 10 and 50 percent depending on crop type and logistics conditions.
Earlier in his career, Tanui held leadership roles within the Kenyan logistics sector, including senior management responsibilities at Siginon Group, where he gained extensive experience in freight forwarding, cargo operations, and regional supply chain management. His professional background spans air cargo logistics, customs processes, and transport coordination across East Africa.
Tanui has also represented Mitchell Cotts in international cargo and supply chain forums, contributing to discussions on air freight modernization, digital cargo systems, and the development of logistics infrastructure that supports Africa’s growing participation in global trade.
Through his leadership at Mitchell Cotts, Daniel K. Tanui has been closely associated with the company’s transition from a traditional freight forwarder into a broader logistics platform combining cargo handling, industrial logistics infrastructure, and export supply chain services. His work reflects the growing importance of logistics investment in shaping East Africa’s role in global manufacturing and agricultural trade networks.
