[video] Inside Kenya's Multi-Billion Lamu Port Built on Reclaimed Sea

 

The Lamu Port Project in Manda Bay, Lamu County^[1] is set to have 32 berths covering 6km of the coastline built on 1000 acres of land reclaimed from the sea at a cost of Ksh 845 billion.

This is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET^[2]) corridor program developed in line with Kenya Vision 2030 national planning strategy.

The first, second, and third phases which amounted to Ksh 75 billion are complete with 3 berths each being 400m long. The whole stretch is 1200meters, that's 1.2 kilometers.

The activities involved dredging, reclamation, construction of berths and yards; construction of revetment, causeway, and road; construction of buildings and utilities; procurement of equipment and tug boats.

Lamu Port entrance channel is 500metres wide and -17.5metres deep

Each berth is designed to carry container vessels of 1200TEUs, the entrance channel is 500metres wide and  -17.5metres deep. Total cargo capacity at the Port is expected to reach 23.9 million tonnes by 2030.

The construction of the second and third cargo yards is set to begin soon.

"Our aspiration is to lay the Lamu port which will serve the Ethiopian transport corridor through road infrastructure."

"Our aim is to make the Lamu Port the port of choice for transshipment, export of goods through EPZ as well as the export of Kenya's crude oil," stated President Uhuru.

The port which will be the biggest deep-sea port in East Africa when completed is scheduled to begin operations in June.

LAPPSET is Eastern Africa’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project bringing together Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

It consists of seven key infrastructure projects including the new 32 berth port at Lamu (Kenya) and interregional highways from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba (South Sudan), Isiolo to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Lamu to Garsen (Kenya).

It also involves a crude oil pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba; a product oil pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo and from Isiolo to Addis Ababa, and 3 international airports: one each at Lamu, Isiolo, and Lake Turkana.

References

1. ^{^} Lamu Port Project in Manda Bay, Lamu County (www.kenyans.co.ke)
2. ^{^} Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET (www.kenyans.co.ke)