MV Baltimore Express, a colossal, measuring 369 meters in length overall, arrived on Sunday from Oman’s Salalah Port.
To put that size into perspective, the ship spans nearly the length of three football pitches with 69 meters to spare.
Many regional ports would struggle to accommodate such a giant, but Lamu stood up to the challenge, owing to its natural depth.
With the port’s quay length of 400 meters per berth, MV Baltimore Express docked smoothly without any incident, Kenya Ports Management said.
The vessel operated by German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd, during her stay in Lamu, handled restows of dangerous cargo by repositioning the DGs aboard the vessel in compliance with the International Maritime Organisation.
This call follows the earlier record set by a sister vessel, MV Nagoya Express, a 335-meter container ship, which docked at the port in August 2025.
KPA’s general manager, Port of Lamu, Captain Abdulaziz Mzee, welcomed the ship, noting the port’s proven ability to handle ultra-large vessels.
“This call lifts Lamu’s profile on the global maritime map and compares to some of the world’s most developed ports like Singapore, Rotterdam and Hamburg,” said the GM.
What sets the Port of Lamu apart from other regional ports is its naturally deep harbour of 17.5 meters. This depth allows Panamax and post-Panamax ships to sail into the channel with minimal or no dredging.
Many other African ports require constant dredging to deepen the seabed enough to accommodate mega ships and stay competitive.
This natural advantage enables Lamu to rival the world’s most modern ports, positioning it not only as a transhipment gateway, but also as a strategic hub capable of handling very high cargo volumes.
Lamu has so far handled over 120 vessels since the start of the year, with more expected to call in the coming days.
To complement this growth, KPA is investing in modern equipment, with the port expected to receive new cranes, terminal tractors and other cargo handling equipment in the course of the year.
Equally, Captain Aziz confirmed that ninety motor vehicles out of the 5,000, which had been discharged in March, have already been evacuated from the port.
“As the global shipping industry evolves and ships continue to grow, the Port of Lamu stands uniquely ready. It is built for the future, not catching up to it.”
