Lamu Port breaks record as 5,200 containers discharged from one ship

By  Kalume Kazungu

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• The milestone was set by MV Hamouna, a 366-metre container vessel, arriving from China.
• The ship, which has a total capacity of about 14,500 TEUs, will see part of its cargo transshipped to other destinations.

Lamu Port has handled its biggest container cargo from a single vessel yet, in a fresh sign of the growing capacity of the deep-water port to attract larger ships and handle more cargo.

The milestone was set on Saturday when MV Hamouna, a 366-metre container vessel arriving from China, docked at the Port of Lamu and discharged 5,200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the highest number of containers received from a single vessel at the facility.

The ship, which has a total capacity of about 14,500 TEUs, will see part of its cargo transshipped to other destinations, including the Gulf, using smaller feeder vessels.

The call by MV Hamouna also ranks among the largest vessels to have docked at Lamu, as the port continues to receive increasingly bigger ships.

Another giant vessel to call at the facility earlier this year was MV Baltimore Express, a 369-metre container ship operated by German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd. In August 2025, another Hapag-Lloyd vessel, MV Nagoya Express, measuring 335 metres, set the previous record for the largest vessel to dock at Lamu Port.

Speaking at the port shortly after receiving the vessel, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto underscored the facility’s deep-water capability and its growing role as a transshipment and regional trade hub along the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor.

Mr Ruto reiterated that MV Hamouna’s arrival at the facility demonstrates Lamu’s growing dominance as a strategic regional maritime hub.

“I am impressed that just days after our President William Ruto launched the Dangote Refinery in this place, Lamu Port is making yet another historic milestone in Kenya’s maritime industry,” said Mr Ruto.

He added, “I want to clearly state that this is the first vessel to discharge 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.”

He expressed optimism that with the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Lamu Plant, such a critical step is already working towards boosting the Lamu Port operations and even creating additional opportunities for maritime and logistics services in the region.

According to Mr Ruto, one factor behind major shipping lines selecting the Port of Lamu for some of the world’s largest vessel calls is the fact that it is emerging as a premier Indian Ocean deep-water hub with modern berthing infrastructure.

“The Port of Lamu prides itself on having favourable, secure, high-capacity berths, including depths and quay lengths for large vessels,” he said.

The port’s first three berths are significantly deeper and larger than Mombasa Port berths, featuring a depth of 17.5 metres and 400-metre lengths. Such features accommodate large, modern vessels as they provide sufficient draught for such large vessels.

On the other hand, Mombasa Port's berths are 15-metre deep and 300 metres in length. Lamu Port is, therefore, designed for larger vessels of up to 12,000 TEUs while Mombasa Port handles smaller ships of up to 10,000 TEUs.

Mr Ruto revealed ongoing plans by KPA to expand equipment at the Port of Lamu to boost ship traffic efficiency as they effectively establish the facility as a major regional transshipment hub.

He said as part of the modernisation and capacity-building initiative, the authority will continue to systematically deploy heavy yard machinery and marine vessels to handle larger volumes, particularly at Lamu Port. KPA recently added three modern gantry cranes at Lamu Port.

The cranes are specialized to handle Lamu’s windy conditions and can service vessels carrying over 18,000 TEUs.

To handle the berthing of large container ships and support the regional energy trade, the port has been operating specialised marine machinery, including the dedicated 85-ton tugboat MV Pate.

Lamu Port General Manager Captain Abdulaziz Mzee noted that the ongoing equipment influx has significantly heightened Lamu’s capability, positioning it to either manage disruptions in global shipping as well as servicing large-scale infrastructure investments like the Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals SEZ project.

He noted that the docking of MV Hamouna at Lamu Port berths on Saturday shows the capability and capacity of the facility in handling mega vessels.

“This is a real testament that Lamu is opening up to the world. It shows customer confidence in trusting the Port of Lamu,” said Mr Mzee.

He noted that since the Port of Lamu’s operationalization in May 2021, only three shipping lines have been using the facility.

“The MV Hamouna vessel that called yesterday is under IRISL Shipping Line. This is the fourth shipping line to use Lamu Port. The rest who have been using our facility include CMA CGM, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Messina Line. All this means an increase in port business,” said Mr Mzee.

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