This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
Kenya's Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has announced that the first berth in Lamu Port will be launched in mid-February. The launch will be graced by up to five heads of state, including President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking in Mombasa, Macharia said the first ship, owned by Maersk Shipping Line, would also dock at the port during the official launch. The construction of the second and third berths is expected to be completed by December, with a multi-agency security team currently combing the Boni Forest to address security concerns.
Security concerns had led to the suspension of construction works at the port last week after Al Shabaab militants attacked a United States military base at Manda Bay airstrip, 10km north of the port. However, work has since resumed, and construction of two more berths and roads, including the Lamu-Garsen highway, is expected to be completed as scheduled.
Participants from Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan have agreed to fashion a coordinated approach to make Lapsset projects attractive to private investors. The African Union High Representative on Infrastructure, Raila Odinga, has described Lapsset as key to the realisation of the East-West Trans-Continental beltway.
