This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
August 5, 2019
Chinese Firm in the Running for Sh250 Billion Lamu Port Deal ¶
A Chinese company, China Merchants Port Group Company Limited (CMPort), is seeking to develop the Sh250 billion Lamu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project in Kenya.
The proposed project, which has been submitted to the government as a Privately Initiated Investment Proposal (PIIP), includes the construction and management of berths one to three of Lamu Port, refurbishment of berths 11 to 14 of the Port of Mombasa, and future investments in berths 23 of the port of Mombasa.
The project also involves the development of the New Lamu Industrial City (NLIC), which will cover a total area of 213.60 square kilometres, with 30 square kilometres allocated for the industrial zone.
According to Veronica Okoth, the director for economic and macro pillar at the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat, the CMPort proposal envisions six major areas, including the port, logistics zone, industrial zone, ecological residential area, technology and education area, and tourism and entertainment area.
The proposal has been submitted to principal secretaries for Industrialisation, Transport, and Infrastructure for review, and a technical report has been submitted to the Cabinet Secretaries Steering Committee (CSSC) for a final decision.
