Lamu,
KNA April 13, 2024
KNA by Amenya Ochieng/ Sadik Hassan
The Kenya Ports Authority has acquired three new ship-to-shore cranes for the Lamu Port, worth Kshs 4 billion aimed at boosting transshipment business across the country’s Northern corridor.
Speaking to the media during the launch of the three ultra-modern state of the art cranes at the Kililana Port KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto stated that the three cranes would increase the port’s capacity to handle any shipment coming from the Middle East or China.
The KPA MD further revealed that the Authority would also be importing 4 Rubber Tire Gantry Cranes that would further aid in ensuring the Lamu Port’s efficiency in handling transshipment business.
The arrival of the three state-of-the-art Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) gantry cranes aboard a heavy loader carrier MV Zhen Hua 24 will position the Port of Lamu as a transshipment hub.
The KPA MD further hailed the move to bring in the Ship to Shore Cranes as a milestone in ensuring the viability of the LAPSSET project and the Northern Corridor is realized.
“The national government is committed to ensuring the security of the LAPSSET corridor is achieved,” he added that adequate personnel and resources have been disbursed in ensuring investor confidence is maintained.
He further said that Ethiopia and South Sudan have both voiced their commitment in using the Lamu Port as well as the Northern corridor with plans already underway to rehabilitate parts of the LAPSSET road that were previously affected by rains.
The Port of Lamu is the first component of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project is envisioned to have 23 berths already three berths with a draft of 17.5 meters and turning bay of 500 meter have been completed.
Since the first berth was operationalized in 2021 has been handling transshipment cargo destined for Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar; containerized and bulk cargo as well as motor vehicle.
The country has received praises for the operationalization of Lamu’s first three berths from the Republic of South Sudan, and Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Courtesy; KNA