twitter Facebook Linkedin acp Contact Us

Lamu development to be bigger than Mombasa port

Lamu Port Map. (Image source: African Review P24)

The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport and Development Corridor is a public-private partnership (PPP) joining Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Mwangi Mumero reports

Three of the expected 32 deep sea berths are scheduled for opening early next year at Kenya’s Lamu Port, creating another avenue for cargo entry and departure for three Eastern African nations that also include South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Fully funded by the Kenyan Government at a cost of US$480mn, the three berths are being constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which signed a deal with the Kenya Port Authority (KPA), the statutory body in charge of ports.

The ongoing work has involved dredging the quayside, deepening the docking area for ships by 17.5 metres. Other works have involved the construction of a revetment, causeway, buildings and utilities, procurement of equipment and tug boats.

 “Lamu has a natural draft of minus 18 metres deep and the dredging will take it to 23 metres deep. It will have a capacity to handle vessels carrying between 6,000 and 13,000 TEUs,” observed Catherine Mturi, KPA managing director.

Upon completion, Lamu Port is expected to handle bigger vessels than Mombasa Port – the main gateway to East Africa. Officials say that the three berths are designed to handle 30,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) and 100,000 DWT for general bulk and container cargo respectively. Construction work also involves reclaiming the sea, which will place the berths more than 700 metres into the India Ocean. The first three berths will stretch 1.2 km long with a width of 750 metres.

The remaining 29 berths will be financed by the private sector investors.

Lamu’s Manda Bay is well-sheltered and has deep water of around 18 metres along the main channel and 50-60 metres in the bay, able to accommodate Panamasize vessels. In the 1500-1800s, the Arabian, Portuguese and Spanish traders used the port in the Indian Ocean to do business that took spices, slaves, ivory and other merchandise across the seas. Lamu is 242 km north of Mombasa along the Indian Ocean, close to the Somali border.

Launched five years ago and officially known as Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport and Development Corridor (LAPSSET), the project is a public-private partnership (PPP) that joins together three East African Countries – Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Africa has a number of successful PPP infrastructural projects. They include the Nationwide Water and Power Project in Gabon, construction of the N4 Toll Road between South Africa and Mozambique and the Urban Water Expansion project in Dakar, Senegal.

The joint Lamu Port development venture will see the opening of another transport corridor that will spur trade in the region. It will connect Lamu Port, northern Kenya and extend to southern Ethiopia and Juba, South Sudan in the west, that runs parallel with the Mombasa Nairobi-Kampala transport corridor.

The project will also see the development of an 800 km road system, a standard gauge railway, a 1,300 km oil pipeline, an oil refinery and an airport. (See page 24 below for more)

The Bell team in Richards Bay consists of more than 800 machinists, welders, and assemblers. (Image source: Bell)

GFE Power Product’s extensive range covers generators from 10 kVA up to 3,000 kVA. (Image source: GFE Power Products)

The funding is the largest-ever equity raise in the minigrid industry according to Husk. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The initiative will help African contractors participate in annual infrastructure investments. (Image source: Afreximbank)

ITS has evolved into a sophisticated systems approach, providing numerous opportunities to revolutionise road networks. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Invest International’s Lara Muller; Ivory Coast Minister of Finance and Economy, Adam Coulibaly; and Ambassador Designate to Ivory Coast, Jeroen Kelderhuis. (Image source: Invest International)

The Yellow Metal Machine Rental team with some Wacker Neuson equipment. (Image source: Wacker Neuson)

Although displaying resilience, the report warns that African banks remain exposed to physical climate risks due to both sovereign and industry lending. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

WAA and VCMI will seek to establish regulatory frameworks to enable access to high integrity and fair voluntary carbon markets for WAA member countries. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The parties will also promote the mutual exchange of information and expertise in the field of export credit policies and practices. (Image source: TBD Group)

Inside Condra’s Johannesburg factory: an overhead crane positions an electric motor during assembly of hoist and crab. (Image source: Condra)

IVECO is renewing its entire product range, all at once. (Image source: IVECO)

The MoU was signed alongside the Africa Health Business Symposium. (Image source: Africa CDC)

Both the IMF and EIU expect SSA to rank as the world’s second fastest growing economy in 2024. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

There has been a focus on the sugar industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Evolving concept of energy security must address energy demand, system flexibility, technology access and infrastructure development, says IRENA. (Image source: IRENA)

World Bank & African Development Bank partner to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, leveraging public-private investments. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

(L-R): Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali and Dr Reda Helal, group managing director – processing, Africa and co-head group processing, Network International. (Image source: Network International)

At WFES, Gotion High-tech will showcase its latest products and leading green energy solutions at its booth. (Image source: Gotion High-tech)

The new Perkins 5012 is a full-authority electronic engine optimised and purpose-built for power generation applications. (Image source: Perkins)

SSAB will begin deliveries of the new products in 2026.

The key issues restricting sub-Saharan Africa’s manufacturing sector will be unpacked at Manufacturing Indaba later this year. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Through the innovative solution, each vessel can fill two tank containers on average between two ports. (Image source: Maersk)

Hyphen is developing sub-Saharan Africa’s largest, most advanced and only fully-vertical integrated green hydrogen project. (Image source: Hyphen)

According to Liebherr, the Used Equipment Marketplace is extremely user-friendly. (Image source: Liebherr)

Electricity storage will be pivotal in unlocking renewable projects and meeting energy demand. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

With RFID, assets can be given unique digital identities that enable users to identify and locate them all at once, from a distance, in real time. (Image source: Brady)

Africa Data Centres and DPA SA have broken ground on their solar farm in the Free State. (Image source: Africa Data Centres)

A Cat PM310 Cold Planer in action. (Image source: Caterpillar)

A larger stockholding of WEG products facilitates ready access for customers. (Image source: WEG Africa)