The Chinese newly built Lamu port in coastal Kenya has received the biggest transshipment cargo bound for Tanzania’s Zanzibar port, a government official said.
Joseph Toni, regional coordinator of southern region with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said that the cargo arrived aboard MV Seago Line Istanbul and was cleared through Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS).
“The Port of Lamu has received a consignment of 365 containers of transhipment cargo, the biggest and sixth consignment to be shipped to the port since its operationalization,” Toni said in a statement released on Saturday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in May inaugurated the first berth of Lamu port, which is part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor to pave the way for the docking of bulk cargo ships.
The seaport that is located in the Lamu archipelago, is being constructed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and will have 32 berths in total upon completion.
Toni said that the arrival of the Maersk Shipping Line vessel that shipped a total 490 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of cargo is a vote of confidence for the Lamu Port.
“It is also a sign that the future is bright for the port as it is on the path to become a major transhipment hub in the region, as it had been envisaged,” he added.
The KRA said that it is working closely with the multi-agency team operating at the Lamu port to make the facility have a competitive edge and become a port of choice for importers and exporters, through efficiency and a reduced cargo dwell time.
Source: Xinhua