Lapsset resort cities in Lamu, Isiolo and Turkana to cost Sh143bn

@ppcheti

Kenya needs close to Sh143 billion for the establishment of three resort cities which are among the seven key infrastructure components of the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor project.

The cities will be in Lamu, Isiolo and Turkana.

A report by the Lapsset Corridor Development Authority shows the Lamu resort city will be the largest at an estimated cost of Sh114 billion.

The Isiolo resort city will cost an estimated Sh24 billion while the Lake Turkana resort city will cost about Sh5 billion.

Lamu city will incorporate a Special Economic Zone that will host heavy, light and medium industries.

Speaking in Lamu on Friday, Lapsset director general Stephen Ikua said the special economic zone area will provide warehousing, transport logistics, shipbuilding technology and refinery among others.

He said the land size needed for this particular development is about 2,000 acres with a power demand of approximately 60 megawatts.

Ikua said discussions were on to have the planned resort cities established.

He said their completion will help open the Northern Kenya Corridor to trade, tourism, and industrialisation among other benefits.

He said various study programmes have already been undertaken and that all that remains is the implementation of the cities.

“We’re now in a discussion to ensure the Lamu port and other completed Lapsset components are fully operational. Plans are underway to have the first three resort cities established,” Ikua said.

He said that once established, the intended cities will contribute an increased response by government institutions in the delivery of public services, including security as well as increased commodity supply and economic trade into the region.

“We expect them to transform the region into an industrial, technical, logistics, investment as well as a tourism hub. This will ease access to market access to goods and livestock produced from the region,” Ikua said.

The Lapsset Corridor Program is Eastern Africa’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project bringing together Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The Lapsset infrastructure projects include the 32 Berth port at Lamu in Kenya, Interregional Highways from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba (South Sudan), Isiolo to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and Lamu to Garsen, Crude Oil Pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba; Product Oil Pipeline from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Addis Ababa.

Others are Interregional Standard Gauge Railway lines from Lamu to Isiolo, Isiolo to Juba, Isiolo to Addis Ababa, and Nairobi to Isiolo; three International Airports: one each at Lamu, Isiolo, and Lake Turkana; the three Resort Cities: one at Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana; and the multipurpose High Grand Falls Dam along the Tana River.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris