The first berth of the Lamu Port is set for official opening next month, fuelling Kenya’s aspirations to become East African region’s transhipment hub. Lamu Port will compete with the Port of Djibouti and the planned Bagamoyo harbour in Tanzania. Port of Djibouti has already established as a transhipment hub. With its two ports of Dolareh and the Port of Djibouti, it currently handles the largest cargo volumes in the region averaging three million tonnes annually. The much-delayed take-off of Tanzania’s Bagamoyo port, which is mired in controversy will have to catch up as Lamu’s becomes active. Another project of Tanzania is a $345 million World Bank-funded Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP).
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta is, in a few weeks, expected to commission the first of the 32 berths of a trans-African Lamu Port, when the first Neo-Panamax ship is expected to dock.
In his address to the nation, President Kenyatta stated that Lamu will play host to the newest port on the African East coast and initially it will act as a transhipment hub for global shipping lines. The Port he said It will have a special economic zone to attract global investors. He hoped that Lamu Port will become the port of choice for the export of Kenya’s crude oil. According to sources, Lamu Port’s 18 meters natural draft, is capable of accommodating the increasingly huge maritime vessels. The docking of such large vessels capable of carrying more than 20,000 twenty-foot equivalents (TEU’s) will be a game-changer. However, the supporting roads outside of the port reportedly remain incomplete and behind schedule.
The authorities claim that the port will be able to serve South Sudan, Congo-Brazzaville, DR Congo and other East African countries. Lamu Port project was launched nine years ago.
