In 2012, President Mwai Kibaki laid the foundation stone for Lamu Port, part of the Lapsset corridor – a project that was meant to propel Kenya and the region to new heights.
Construction works started in mid-2015 following detailed design & planning, equipment mobilisation, environmental social impact assessments and construction of preliminary and support infrastructure.
The Sh2.5 trillion port project is the biggest in the region, with major supporting structures such as the Sh48 billion headquarters plaza having already been completed.
Other completed structures a port police station, connection to the national power grid, a water reticulation network and a port management and security housing scheme.
Construction of the first three berths, which cost Sh40 billion, has also been completed. The first berth was completed in August 2019.
The port is expected to open up the northern part of the country and contribute at least 1.5 per cent of the country's GDP.
The port is set to officially begin operations on June 15, according to Lapsett Corridor Development Authority chairperson Titus Ibui.
This means the port will start receiving and shipping out goods from the various shipping lines across the globe by the same month.
The Kenya Ports Authority has begun moving heavy equipment from the Port of Mombasa to Lamu Port, 240km away.
The Lamu Port Project plan includes a 32-berth port, transportation hubs for rail, highway and international airports in Lamu, Isiolo and Lodwar, an oil pipeline from South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia to Lamu Port, an oil refinery and three resort cities in Isiolo, Lamu and Turkana.
The port will operate as a transhipment hub for global shipping lines that will be supported by the Special Economic Zone.
The Port has been designed to world-class standards, with modern facilities and will be expected fully automated for efficient processes.
The Kenya Coast Guard will be instrumental in securing the port against threats such as piracy, armed robbery, smuggling of contraband, illegal fishing, illegal immigrants, human and drug trafficking, and terrorism among other maritime crimes.
