Kenya invites International Bids for Lamu Port 12/10/2010

The Kenya Government has invited international bids for the Lamu Port. The town of Lamu is located on the Kenyan coast north of the country's second largest City of Mombasa which is also one of Africa's largest ports.   Kenya's Enchanted Island of Lamu is also a popular touristic destination for its cultural heritage with a near perfect fusion of African and Arabic traditions and forklores.   The Lamu Port is a flagship project of the Kenya National Vision 2030; the country's blueprint for economic development which aims to tranform Kenya to mid-income status within the next 20 years.

The Port to be constructed at Manda Bay will open up a new transportation corridor linking Southern Sudan and Ethiopia to the Indian Ocean, hence code named Lamu-Southern Sudan and Ethiopia Transport- LAPSSET. Following the completion of the feasibility studies by a Japanese Company, Japan Port Consultants in April 2010, maritime experts have expressed great expectations that the new Port will strengthen Kenya's position as a major transhipment hub.  It is expected that once completed the Lamu Port will handle container cargo of 100,000 dead-weight tonnage. The main components of the LAPSSET Project include:

• Lamu Port and Manda Bay
• Standard gauge railway line from Lamu to Juba
• Road network
• Oil pipeline
• 3 Resort Cities (Lamu, Isiolo and Turkana)

Click here for more information on tender for the first three berths and downloads.