CS Murkomen Hails Lamu Port as Key Gateway for Northern Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, Following Inaugural Ethiopian Vessel Docking
The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen has hailed Lamu Port as a strategic port of call for goods destined for Northern Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, thereby creating jobs and helping grow the economies of towns along the corridor.
This follows the Ethiopian vessel MV Abbay II docking at the Port of Lamu recently, with a consignment of 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer. The maiden call by the Ethiopian ship marks the inaugural cargo destined for the transit market through the Port of Lamu, a significant advancement in the utilization of the Port of Lamu, Kenya’s second maritime hub, by partner states in line with the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Project.
The CS thanked the Ethiopian government for choosing to use the Port of Lamu for the delivery of 60,000 tonnes of fertilizer, aboard the Ethiopian vessel MV Abbay II. “We will do all in our power to facilitate the shipment of goods, including the 60,000-tonne fertiliser cargo destined for Ethiopia, in spite of a damaged section of the Lamu-Witu-Garsen road due to floods”, said Hon. Murkomen.
During a meeting with stakeholders and the leadership of Lamu County, the CS conveyed the Government of Kenya’s commitment to facilitating the evacuation of the consignment through an alternative route as the water subsides and repairs start in earnest. The CS said part of the Government’s long-term solution is to fast-track the completion of the 256km Lamu-Ijara road and ensure it is completed by February 2025.
The CS thanked H.E. the President for leading efforts to draw business to the Lamu Port, saying the move will help create jobs and boost the economy of Lamu County as well as those of Tana River, Isiolo and Marsabit, which are also in the LAPSSET Corridor. For instance, the CS pointed out that evacuating cargo aboard the MV Abbay II alone needs 2,400 trucks, which is a big business opportunity and a source of jobs.
MV Abbay II docking at Lamu Port comes as Kenya Ports Authority acquired three ship-to-shore Gantry cranes in April, which are expected to boost operations at Kenya’s second commercial port.
Editor’s note: If only the LAPSSET railway was ready!
