Due to the delayed building of important roads connecting it to South Sudan and Ethiopia, the Port of Lamu has not been able to draw in transit commerce.
The facility, whose three initial berths were opened in 2021, has not established itself as a transshipment hub, according to stakeholders, in part because of poor marketing.
Even though state agencies have worked hard to set up the port for commerce, Lamu has only handled one ship for Ethiopia. Despite the Horn of Africa nations being promoted as the port’s beneficiaries, no ships bound for South Sudan have been unloaded at the facility.
Hassan Albeity, a former chairman of the Lamu County Council, claimed yesterday that the port’s operations had been impacted by the 257 km of delayed development on the Lamu-Ijara-Garissa and 83 km on the Ijara-Sangailu-Hulugho routes.
The undertaking has all but stopped. Though it got off to a great start, the momentum quickly wanes. To secure funds to revitalize it, we must have goodwill and work with both domestic and foreign partners,” he stated.
According to Albeity, the Lapset Corridor Development Authority board should be composed of Lamu residents, and the Lamu County Government ought to be actively involved in the project.
Some locals, on the other hand, urge the government to completely incorporate Lamu County government in the project and involve them while also pursuing funding from other countries.
The project called for the construction of roadways that would connect neighboring nations, a refinery, airports, resort communities, and a railroad track. There would also be a Special Economic Zone in Lamu.
At a cost of Sh41 billion, the government has constructed the first three berths, with the then-president Uhuru Kenyatta kicking off operations in May 2021.
China Communication Construction Company was given a contract by the Kenya National Highways Authority in April 2021 to build roads that will service the port at a cost of Sh17.9 billion. The roads were supposed to be finished in 24 months, but security issues have caused delays in the construction. These comprised the 83 km Ijara-Sangailu-Hulugho route and the 257 km Lamu-Ijara-Garissa (Lapsset corridor).
Abdullah Fadhil, a former board member of the Kenya Ports Authority, stated that once the facility and the other Lapsset (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor) projects are completely operating, the locals expect jobs and business prospects.But he blamed malfeasance and corruption for the delays.
Although we are worried about the delays, we anticipate that the Lapsset project will give our people business and employment options.We also wish to participate completely in the initiative,” he declared.
Locals have not yet benefited from the entire Lapsset project, according to Walid Ali, Director of the Lamu Youth Alliance, and there has not been much activity at the Lamu port.He pointed out that just 400 of the 1,000 youngsters from Lamu County who were ordered to receive port operations training in 2012 by previous President Mwai Kibaki had benefited from the program.
According to Walid, Lamu people will be able to improve their standards by obtaining business chances, jobs, and tenders if the Lapsset project is brought back to life.
Lapsset is intended to connect the continent’s Atlantic coast to the Indian Ocean side and, in the north, to Djibouti, Sudan, and Egypt via the Northern Corridor.
Lapsset is intended to serve as a bridge connecting the continent’s Atlantic coast to the Indian Ocean side and its northern corridor to Djibouti, Sudan, and Egypt.
The 32 berths at Lamu Port are intended to be connected to the surrounding area by thousands of kilometers of new pipelines, rails, and highways. Three resort cities, many airports, and an artificial dam will all be located along this corridor.
