Since its operationalisation in 2021, the Port of Lamu is cementing its position as a transshipment hub, as it’s experiencing a surge in vessel traffic with 23 vessels expected to dock in August.
The port has been handling transshipment cargo destined for Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar; containerized and bulk cargo as well as motor vehicles. Cumulatively since the beginning of 2025, 13 vessels have called on the port.
The Port of Lamu is the first component of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project. It is envisioned to have 23 berths and already, three berths with a draft of 17.5 metres and a turning bay of 500 metres have been completed.
Security has been heightened with 24 hour Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance, and it’s guarded by elite forces with a police station within the port precincts.
The surge in vessels calling on the port has been boosted by the procurement of modern equipment. To bolster marine operations, last year the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) acquired a Sh264M locally built mooring.
It measures 14.5m in length and features a twin-screw design, powered by two Caterpillar engines (CAT C9.3 ACERT series), with a power rating of 310 kW at 2100 rpm and a design service speed of 10 knots.
KPA vessel schedule for August shows that the Port will handle 23 vessels; MV Nagoya Express, MV AL Juma, MV Lobivia, and Gulf Express have already docked.
Liberian Flagged vessel MV Nagoya Express, with an overall length of 335.08 meters and width of 42.8 meters is the longest vessel to have berthed in an East African port. It was loaded with 140 transshipped containers heading to the United States of America. The cargo was offloaded at the port by MV Tolten.
The arrival of MV Nagoya Express demonstrates the port’s ability to handle ultra-large container vessels, supported by its depth, which can accommodate ships of up to 80,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) or 17 metres draft.
The Port of Lamu is among the deepest in Africa, with each berth boasting a quay length of 400 metres and a depth of 17.5 metres.
According to Port of Lamu General Manager Capt. Abdulaziz Mzee, global shipping company CMA CGM has begun continuous transshipment operations at the facility.
“Today, MV Lobivia discharged 592 transshipment containers, most of them destined for Zanzibar. Other vessels will call here to collect cargo for other destinations,” said Capt. Mzee.
He added that the port expects the arrival of MV Onego Buran, MV CMA CGM Saigon, MV Stephanie C, MV MYNY, MV CMA CGM Kailas, MV CMA CGM Tarragona, and a return call from MV Lobivia before the end of August.
“We are happy to announce that Lamu is now a busy port, and it’s going to be even busier. We have inquiries from vessels up to 340 metres long, meaning more ultra-large ships will soon call here,” Capt. Mzee said.
He further disclosed that other major global shipping lines, including Maersk, ONE Line, and Mediterranean Shipping Company, have expressed interest in using the port.
“We have also received inquiries for bulk cargo, including construction materials for a U.S. airbase in Lamu. They have consulted us on logistics, so we are exploring opportunities to diversify cargo beyond containers,” Capt. Mzee said.
MV Lobivia’s Captain Victor Bushyn expressed his satisfaction with the port’s preparedness to handle larger vessels. “It has good depths inside the harbour,” he said.
By Sadik Hassan
