Sh8.9bn set aside to speed up Lamu port project
What you need to know:
- Northern Corridor Development Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said 50 per cent of the work at the port has been done.
Mr Munya said the other two berths should be ready in two years, all costing Sh48 billion.
Lapsset Corridor Development Authority chairperson Francis Muthaura said the project would help tackle unemployment in Lamu.
The Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor Project has received a major boost after the national government announced the allocation of Sh8.9 billion to speed up construction of the port.
Speaking at the weekend, East Africa Community and Northern Corridor Development Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said 50 per cent of the work at the port has been done. He added that the government is committed to ensuring the project is successful.
GAME CHANGER
Mr Munya visited the port site in Kililana, Lamu West. He said more money would be injected into the project from the September supplementary budget. Construction of the first three berths is ongoing, with the first berth expected to be ready by December this year.
Mr Munya said the other two berths should be ready in two years, all costing Sh48 billion.
“We are here to assess the progress of Lapsset and to iron out various issues," he said, adding that the project would be a game changer for Lamu County and Kenya. "It is expected to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by at least 3 per cent, he said, and would boost tourism, trade and local livelihood.
EMPLOYMENT
Lapsset Corridor Development Authority chairperson Francis Muthaura said the project would help tackle unemployment in Lamu. Already, 400 local youth have been trained on port operations in readiness for employment, he said, in line with a scholarship programme launched by former President Mwai Kibaki targeting 1,000 youths.
Lapsset CEO Silvestre Kasuku said the first ship could dock at the port by December this year when the first berth will be ready.
The Sh2.5 trillion project includes a 32-berth port; transportation hubs for rail, highway; international airports in Lamu, Isiolo and Lodwar; an oil pipeline from South Sudan connecting Uganda and Ethiopia; an oil refinery and three resort cities.
