Lamu Port sets record with simultaneous berthing of two container vessels

The Port of Lamu has marked history after two first-time container vessels, MV Saigon and MV Stephanie C, berthed simultaneously at its 400-metre quays, just days after another maiden caller, MV Lobivia, docked at the facility.

The back-to-back arrivals of the three ships have collectively created the heaviest traffic in Lamu’s history, a development port officials say reflects growing confidence from global shipping lines in Kenya’s newest deep-water port.

“These are first-time callers, and together with MV Lobivia, they have given us the busiest traffic we have ever experienced in Lamu,” said Captain Abdulaziz Mzee, General Manager of Lamu Port, during a ceremony to present first call certificates to the captains of MV Saigon and MV Stephanie C.

Captain Abdulaziz said the milestone demonstrated that Lamu was beginning to prove its capability in the global maritime space. “What you are seeing today is proof that Lamu is ready for bigger business. Lines are responding to efficiency and our deep-water capacity,” he said

The latest achievement comes only a week after Lamu received MV Nagoya Express, a 335-metre container ship carrying 9,000 TEUs, the largest vessel ever to dock in East Africa.

Officials said that the milestone confirmed the port’s ability to handle ultra-large vessels, supported by its 17.5-metre-deep channel and 400-metre berths.

Built under the LAPSSET corridor project, Lamu was designed to accommodate ships of more than 12,000 TEUs. To boost efficiency, the KPA noted it has invested in equipment, including three modern gantry cranes worth Sh4 billion.

Shipping giant CMA CGM has already committed to regular calls at the port, a pledge seen as crucial to building consistent traffic and anchoring Lamu’s role in regional trade.

Captain Abdulaziz, however, acknowledged the need to improve inland connections, particularly roads, rail links and customs systems, to maximise the port’s potential.

He said the LAPSSET corridor remained critical to linking the facility with Ethiopia and South Sudan.

He stressed that Lamu was not designed to rival Mombasa but to complement it, offering carriers a safer and faster alternative while easing congestion at Kenya’s main port.

“If we deliver reliable, safe and efficient services, there is no limit to how far Lamu can rise, and the people here will benefit from the indirect jobs and opportunities that always follow shipping activity,” he said.

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