Lamu Port receives first transhipment consignment

Container vessel MV Amu 1 today made history as the first commercial ship to call at the Port of Lamu since the operationalization of the first berth two months ago. The vessel owned by Lamu Shipping Limited was laden with 62 full transhipment containers destined for Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to the media during the reception of the vessel, KPA’s General Manager, Lamu Port, Eng. Abdullahi Samatar, said the consignment on the ship was mixed cargo mainly agricultural products. He said that the port expects to receive another vessel MV Spirit of Dubai on Monday to pick the transhipment cargo.

With the arrival of this ship it signifies we are ready for business and therefore we expect more transhipment traffic to this port which has a competitive advantage in terms of geographical position and capacity to handle bigger vessels,” said the GM.

Samatar further said discussions are ongoing between KPA and other stakeholders on reduced tariffs and tax rebates that will make Lamu Port an attractive logistics hub.

KRA Coast Regional Commissioner, Mr Joseph Tonui, who was also present disclosed that a 10 dollar transhipment fees has already been waived, with discussions ongoing among stakeholders to explore other tax break options.

Tonui further added that KRA has deployed clearance systems to enhance and guarantee efficiency and turnaround time at the new port.

The investment the government has put in this port is high and we are therefore happy to receive business. As government agencies we are glad to note that operations are going on smoothly and we will continue working together to ensure our port attracts more business, “he said.

On his part General Manager, Lamu Shipping Limited, Mr Dominic Mwashigadi, expressed satisfaction with the cargo handling operations at the port saying even the equipment deployed indicated that the port meets international standards.

He said the ship took 35 hours to sail from Zanzibar to Lamu.

Source : KPA