Shipping lines want completion of transport infrastructure and improve port support services fast-tracked to position Lamu Port as a competitive regional maritime hub, capable of attracting more global shipping business.
The call was made during a commercial tour of the Port of Lamu by the Kenya Ships Agents Association (KSAA), whose members represent the principal customers of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
The shipping industry facilitates more than 90 per cent of global trade by volume and about 70 per cent by value.
Speaking during the visit, KSAA chief executive Elijah Mbaru said while Lamu Port is well positioned to become a world-class marine infrastructure, complementary investments are needed before shipping lines can fully embrace the facility.
"There is need to have more equipment at the quay and container yard, while documentation processes should be fully integrated and synchronised with Mombasa and other ports," Mbaru said.
He added that the completion of key road and railway links connecting Lamu to Kenya's hinterland and neighbouring countries would enable shipping agents to offer through bills of lading, making the port more attractive to international cargo owners.
"There is also need to develop auxiliary services such as warehouses and residential areas to support cargo storage and accommodate port workers and shipping agents. Security systems and navigational aids should also be strengthened," he said.
Mbaru noted that shipping companies naturally gravitate towards ports that offer efficient services and modern facilities.
"Ship owners and ship agents will always automatically follow ports with enough modern equipment and strategic geographical locations. You don't need to market such ports," he said.
The KSAA delegation, led by chairman Roger Dainty, commended KPA for facilitating the engagement and reaffirmed the association's commitment to supporting the development of Lamu Port.
According to the ship agents’ lobby, the global shipping industry is changing rapidly due to geopolitical disruptions, evolving trade routes and stricter regulatory requirements, making it necessary for Kenyan ports to modernise and prepare for a new generation of larger vessels.
Ship agents act as local representatives for ship owners and charterers by arranging berthing, customs clearance, documentation, crew changes, bunkering and vessel repairs.
Lamu Port is expected to complement the Port of Mombasa by serving regional markets including South Sudan, Ethiopia and other landlocked countries under the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor.
The government has already invested about Sh40 billion in constructing the first three berths of the planned 23-berth deep-sea port.
The facility has several competitive advantages over Mombasa.
Its berths are 400 metres long compared to Mombasa's average of 300 metres, while its natural depth of 17.5 metres allows it to accommodate larger Post-Panamax vessels carrying up to 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared to the 8,000 to 10,000 TEU vessels that currently call at Mombasa.
Its proximity to the open sea also gives Lamu significant potential as a transshipment hub for cargo destined for East Africa, the Middle East and beyond, placing it in competition with established regional transshipment centres such as the Port of Salalah in Oman.
However, industry players say the port's success will depend on the completion of the wider Lapsset Corridor, one of Africa's largest infrastructure projects valued at about $24.5 billion (Sh3.2 trillion).
The corridor seeks to connect Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan through highways, railways, airports, logistics hubs and resort cities.
Maritime experts argue that alongside the port, investments in dry ports, logistics parks, warehouses and efficient inland transport systems will be critical in unlocking Lamu's full commercial potential and transforming it into a major gateway for regional trade.
