There is a surge in activity at the Lamu Port following the diversion of vessels originally destined for the Arabian Gulf amid ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which continue to disrupt traditional maritime routes.
Over the past three weeks, the usually quiet facility has transformed into a hive of operations, receiving high-capacity vessels and handling volumes that are rapidly pushing it toward full operational capacity.
Kenya Ports Authority MD Captain William Ruto on Wednesday described the recent period as one of the busiest since the port’s commissioning.
“Over the last three weeks, we’ve been very busy. We received the first car carrier last week, and this is now the second, carrying the highest number of motor vehicles to be transhipped at the Port of Lamu,” Ruto said.
The latest vessel, a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) carrier, arrived on Tuesday carrying over 3,800 motor vehicles alongside 54 additional cargo packages.
The ship is scheduled to depart on Thursday afternoon, reflecting what Ruto termed as an efficient turnaround time.
Ruto lauded the port team for achieving a daily discharge rate of over 1,500 units, noting that these figures are not only the highest ever recorded at Lamu but also align with global standards.
“I want to appreciate my team who have been working very hard to ensure that we turn around this ship within the next day,” he added.
The increased traffic is not limited to vehicle carriers.
Container ships are also docking at the port, with more vessels expected in the coming weeks, signalling a potential shift in regional shipping patterns.
“You can see the port is nearly reaching its capacity in terms of containerised cargo. In the next few weeks, we are expecting several vessels to call at this port,” he said.
He noted Lamu’s strategic advantage, highlighting its ability to accommodate deep-draft vessels of over 17 meters, making it uniquely positioned within the region.
“In the next three to six months, this port will be one of the biggest in this region. It is the only port here capable of handling such deep-draft vessels, and with the team we have, I am confident in our ability to deliver,” he said.
Lamu Port general manager Abdulaziz Mzee confirmed that the ship currently docked at the port is Grande Florida, operated by Grimaldi Group, a major global shipping line specialising in RoRo vessels.
“This vessel has the capacity to carry up to 9,000 motor vehicles. It arrived with about 3,800 vehicles, which were originally destined for the Port of Jebel Ali in the Arabian Gulf,” Mzee said.
Due to the ongoing instability in the Gulf region, the vessel was rerouted to Lamu after departing from the Port of Yokohama.
“These vehicles came from Yokohama, Japan, and were headed to the Arabian Gulf, but due to the situation there, they have been diverted here to Lamu,” he explained.
Mzee said Lamu Port now offers flexibility for cargo owners, allowing goods to either be held, redirected, or transhipped onward depending on logistical arrangements.
“This is now the second vessel from the same line. The first was Grande Auckland, which also made a successful call here last week,” he said.
The MV Grande Auckland, a Pure Car Carrier (PCC) with a similar capacity of 9,000 vehicles, made its maiden call earlier in the week, carrying 1,200 brand-new vehicles manufactured in Europe.
Of these, 469 units were discharged at Lamu Port.
The vessel had originally been scheduled to dock at Port of Jebel Ali, the largest and busiest port in the Arabian Gulf, before being diverted to Lamu.
