Kenyan Govt. courting Ethiopia, S. Sudan traders to use Lamu Port

The National Treasury and Planning Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani says the government has embarked on plans to market the newly built Lamu Port to traders in eastern Africa (www.kbc.co.ke)

According to Yatani, the government will in the next few days send delegations to Ethiopia and South Sudan to market the facility which currently has three operational berths.

The facility which was commissioned in May this year is a key component in the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopian Transport (LAPSSET) corridor and is already being linked with the hinterlands through construction of the Garissa -Lamu road with a section from Lamu-Garsen- Malindi already completed making it possible to transport cargo from Lamu to the rest of the country and beyond.

“This port is capable of comfortably docking panamax and post panamax vessels with a capacity of over 10,000 TEUs. We are encouraging shipping lines to bring vessels to this strategically located facility,” said Yatani.

The CS made the remarks on Saturday at the Port of Lamu when he led the shipping fraternity in reception of Maersk container vessel MV Seago Piraeus on her maiden call at the port.

He at the same time expressed satisfaction saying that with the construction of the Port, Lamu had already started witnessing positive socio-economic benefits including emergence of new businesses and creation of job opportunities.

MV Seago Piraeus is now the third commercial vessel and the fifth ship to dock at the Port since it was operationalized on May 20 this year.

The ship, which arrived from the Port of Salalah in Oman, discharged 100 TEUs at Lamu Port for onward transshipment to Zanzibar.

The container vessel has a registered length overall (LOA) of 294.1 meters and is the largest ship to dock at the new port.

Addressing the media during the function, KRA Commissioner for Customs and Border Control Lillian Nyawanda, commended the partnership between KPA, KRA, Port Health and other government agencies saying it had hastened clearance of cargo and made the port competitive.

She said all necessary border control measures are in place including the electronic geo-fencing of the Lamu-Garissa-Isiolo-Moyale transit route to ensure tracking of all transit cargo to secure the goods from theft and acts of smuggling.