Lamu,KENYA:The first berth at the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport-Lapsset Corridor Project in Kililana, Lamu West will be complete by June this year.
This is according to Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Housing and Urban Development, Paul Maringa and Lapsset Director General Silvester Kasuku.
Currently,the construction of the first three among the total 32 berths at the site is at a 42% completion rate.
The first berth is expected to be completed by June this year according to Maringa and will be ready to start receiving ships at the port.
The PS said the national government spends close to Sh.42 Billion each year to ensure progress at the port.
Maringa expressed confidence that all the three LAPSSET terminals will be done by end of 2020.
He said the national government is committed to ensuring a speedy construction of the Sh 2.5 trillion project which he termed the largest port in Kenya, East and central Africa adding that unlike the port of Mombasa which has only 16 berths, the Lamu Port has a total of 32 berths.
“We are happy that the port construction has taken shape very well and it’s now at 42 per cent complete. The construction of the first three berths is going on very well here. In fact we are sure that the first berth will be complete by June this year. The other two will be completed by the end of year 2020,”said Maringa.
On his side, Lapsset CEO Silvester Kasuku said the LAPSSET project once completed will provide huge economic and industrial benefits since it will connect Lamu and Kenya to the East Africa region and the entire world.
The LAPSSET Corridor Project plan has seven main components which include a 32-berth modern port, transportation hubs for rail, highway and international airports in Lamu, Isiolo and Lodwar, an oil pipeline from South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia to Lamu Port, an oil refinery and three resort cities in Isiolo, Lamu and Turkana.
