Lamu Port’s Cargo Throughput Jumps by 900%, Buoyed by Shipping Disruption
With ocean carriers drawing up contingency plans for cargo destined to the Gulf region, some ports on the East African coast have gained a strategic advantage. As the Hormuz blockade persists, major shipping lines have informed customers on potential rerouting of goods, with the option of leaving containers at safer ports.
One such facility is Kenya’s little-used port of Lamu, which has greatly benefitted from re-routing of cargo destined to the Gulf region. There is a rise in car carriers choosing to discharge cargo in Lamu, which has seen the port’s productivity surge to historical records.
On March 10, the 9,000 CEU capacity Pure Car Carrier (PCC) Grande Auckland made her maiden call in Lamu port. The vessel - operated by Italy’s Grimaldi Lines - discharged 469 car units from Europe, initially scheduled for unloading at the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai.
A week later, another Grimaldi Lines-operated car carrier, Grande Florida Palermo, also made her maiden call at Lamu. The vessel, received on March 18, was laden with 3,800 motor vehicle units and assorted spare parts.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) said that the recent spike in vessel calls reaffirms Lamu’s status as a transshipment port on the East African coast. KPA Managing Director William Ruto also said that another car carrier is expected in Lamu next week, where it will discharge 5,000 vehicles.
Lamu Port was commissioned back in 2021 but remained largely under-utilized for its first three years. However, global shipping disruptions have seen Lamu benefit as ocean carriers adjust their services. Last year in August, Lamu port made history with the docking of Hapag Lloyd’s Nagoya Express, which is the longest containership to ever call at an East African port. The 335-meter-long boxship has capacity for 8,604 TEUs.
The call by Nagoya (among other boxships operated by Hapag Lloyd and CMA CGM) became a turning point for Lamu. In fact, the port in 2025 saw its cargo volume rise by 974%, from 74,380 tonnes in 2024 to 799,161 tonnes last year. This is equivalent to around five percent of the existing port’s capacity. Since January, Lamu has recorded 74 vessel calls.
“With more shipping lines introducing regular service to Lamu, this is a promise of more cargo volumes through the port in subsequent years,” said KPA.
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But as the demand rises, KPA is under pressure to equip the existing berths as well as attract investors at the adjacent Lamu Special Economic Zone. Recently, local media reports revealed that KPA is in the final stages of reincorporating as a Public Limited Liability Company, under the newly enacted Government-Owned Enterprises (GOE) Act.
Currently, KPA is financed by the National Treasury but the transition into a PLC is targeted at enabling the entity to self-finance. In addition, KPA has begun the process of selecting private port operators for berths 1-3 in Lamu Port.