LCDA & KPA hold joint Board meeting to set the stage for the delivery of Lamu Port

The LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) held a Joint Board meeting on 9^th December 2016, to take stock of the progress made in the development of the Lamu Port as well as draw a clear road map for 2017 on the way forward to ensure a well-coordinated strategy that will lead to the delivery of the Mega LAPSSET Corridor Lamu Port Project. Present in the meeting was Principal Secretary, State Department of Transport in the Ministry of Transport- Infrastructure- Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Irungu  Nyakera. The PS reaffirmed the meeting of the ministry’s support towards sufficient timely financing of the development of the Lamu Port.

Speaking to Journalists present on the site, Mr. Nyakera said that the exchequer had released KSH 10billion funding for FY 2016/2017 and a budgetary allocation of an additional KSH 10 billion for FY 2017/2018. He noted good progress on the construction of the 1^st three Berths sighting a 12.5 input ahead of schedule with the 1^st Berth set to be completed in June 2018.

The short term evacuation of cargo would be through the Lamu- Witu- Garsen road, (with the contractor already on sight) joining the completed Isiolo -Moyale road that links Kenya with Ethiopia. The long term evacuation of cargo approach would be through the LAPSSET Corridor SGR Project that will link the Lamu Port to South Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Director General/CEO of LCDA, Mr. Silvester Kasuku stated that the LAPSSET Corridor Lamu Port Project had acquired a Kenya Forest Service License and National Environment Management Authority, (NEMA) social and environmental impact approval license to construct the Lamu Port and related facilities. Mr. Kasuku stated adequate compensation formulas were being applied both to land owners and fishers through adequate Resettlement Action Plans. With the land owners around the Lamu Port area having been compensated, the next project affected persons (PAP) to be compensated are the fishers and this would be done in a manner that strengthened their capacity by provision of boats and fishing equipment as well as in a sustainable manner by working with organized Institutions rather than individuals.

The KPA Managing Director, Ms. Catherine Muturi noted that the construction and operation of the Lamu Port would ease congestion at the Mombasa Port, enhancing the country’s capacity to handle more cargo volumes and make more gains from the blue economy.

The Lamu Port will be able to handle larger capacity vessels because of the natural draft (roughly 18M deep) and after dredging this would go to 23 M deep.