Mega ship call, Dangote refinery lifts Lamu's economic prospects

The Port of Lamu has cemented its place on the global maritime map after successfully receiving and berthing MV Hamouna, a colossal 366-metre container vessel, in what Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has described as the largest single-vessel discharge ever recorded in the country.

The Iranian-flagged vessel, with an overall length (LOA) of 366 meters, arrived carrying around 14,500 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), of which about 5,200 TEUs were scheduled for discharge at Lamu before being transshipped to various regional and international destinations using smaller feeder vessels.

The vessel navigated approximately 14 nautical miles through the Eastern Channel before berthing safely, showcasing the precision of KPA marine operations and the natural deep-water advantage of Lamu.

KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto said the arrival was not just another port call, but a defining moment for Kenya’s second commercial seaport and the wider Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor.

“This is the first vessel discharge of over 5,000 TEUs at once. Even our Mombasa Port has not surpassed this figure, making Lamu Port the next frontier in the maritime industry,” Ruto said.

He noted that MV Hamouna’s call underscored Lamu’s growing dominance as a strategic regional maritime hub, capable of handling some of the world’s largest container ships that previously bypassed East Africa for lack of adequate draft.

The Port of Lamu’s ability to accommodate ultra-large container vessels is anchored on its deep-water harbour and modern berthing infrastructure.

Its berths have a depth of approximately 17.5 metres, providing sufficient draught for fully laden mega vessels.

Industry data shows MV Hamouna, IMO 9820271, built in 2018, has a deadweight of 148,000 tonnes, a beam of 48 meters and a gross tonnage of 141,514 GT. Its arrival continues a trend of increasingly larger vessels choosing Lamu.

Earlier this year, the port welcomed MV Baltimore Express, a 369-metre container vessel operated by German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd. In August 2025, another Hapag-Lloyd vessel, MV Nagoya Express, measuring 335 metres, set the previous vessel-size record at the port.

Maritime experts say the back-to-back calls by vessels exceeding 335 metres confirm shipping lines’ growing confidence in Lamu’s operational efficiency, fast turnaround and transhipment potential. The port was designed under LAPSSET to handle vessels of between 12,000 and 18,000 TEUs, and KPA has invested heavily in equipment, including three modern ship-to-shore gantry cranes worth Sh4 billion.

Ruto noted that Lamu is not designed to rival Mombasa but to complement it, offering carriers a safer, deeper and faster alternative while easing congestion at Kenya’s main gateway and with CMA CGM already committing to regular calls, officials are optimistic of consistent traffic.

The MV Hamouna milestone came just days after another historic moment for Lamu, the groundbreaking of the Sh.2.2 trillion ($16 billion) Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone at Mokowe on September 30.

Presided over by President William Ruto and Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote, alongside President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and other African leaders, the project is designed to process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, making it one of Africa’s largest refineries.

Ruto said the refinery, expected to be completed within 40 months and create about 60,000 jobs, will be a game-changer for port operations.

“With the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Dangote East Africa Refinery, the project will further boost port operations and create additional opportunities for maritime and logistics services in the region,” he said.

The refinery complex will include a 1,000-megawatt power plant, fertiliser and petrochemical facilities, and is expected to rely heavily on Lamu Port for the import of heavy machinery, crude and equipment. Already, on September 26, MV Da Yang docked at Lamu carrying 2,930 metric tons of heavy machinery for the project.

Afreximbank has hailed the project as a milestone for Africa’s industrialisation, noting it will enable East Africa to retain value, create jobs and reduce dependence on imported refined fuels.

Dangote has offered East African states a combined 30 per cent equity stake, with Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda expressing interest.

As per maritime tradition, Ruto presented a certificate of first call and a commemorative plaque to MV Hamouna’s master, Captain M. Firoozi, during a maiden-call ceremony at the port.

Port officials say the successful handling of 5,200 TEUs in a single call proves Lamu’s readiness for full transhipment operations, where mega vessels discharge cargo for redistribution by feeder ships to Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti and Indian Ocean islands.

For Lamu County residents, the twin milestones of the mega-ship and mega-refinery signal jobs, business and transformation along a corridor long seen as Kenya’s next economic frontier.

From a quiet archipelago to a deep-water giant, Lamu is no longer the port of the future and with MV Hamouna’s record discharge, the future has arrived.