LAPSSET Project Advances Northern Kenya Transport Corridor Under Strict EPA Environmental Compliance

Image: The Mamboleo - Muhoroni Road is part of an ongoing 122KM infrastructure upgrade project (C674) valued at sh15.7B to connect Kisumu, Nandi, and Kericho counties (Image: Files)

The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project stands as one of East Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure undertakings, designed to open up northern Kenya, expand regional trade routes, and establish a seamless transport and energy corridor connecting Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Engineered as a multi-modal transit network, the LAPSSET framework comprises several strategic physical components across transport, energy, and urban development sectors. The transport backbone features a high-capacity Standard Gauge Railway line linking Lamu Port to Isiolo, extending onward to Juba in South Sudan and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, supported by an expansive new road network connecting previously isolated northern regions to regional trade hubs. Aviation logistics will be anchored by upgraded international airports at Lamu, Isiolo, and Lokichoggio. At Manda Bay in Lamu, the project features a free port with three initial berths designed for container, conventional, and bulk cargo vessels, fully supported by the Lamu Port Management Building, a police station, staff housing, a health dispensary, and a clubhouse.

On the energy and industrial front, the corridor incorporates dedicated crude and refined oil pipelines running from Lamu to Juba and Ethiopia, complemented by a 120,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery and a modern marine oil terminal at Lamu Port to facilitate tanker loading and offloading. A refined petroleum products pipeline will also link Lamu to the existing Mombasa-Nairobi-Kampala pipeline grid. To power industrial hubs and urban centers along the alignment, the masterplan includes a 1,420-kilometer, 220 kV double-circuit high-voltage electricity transmission line. Additionally, three flagship resort cities are planned at Manda Bay, Isiolo, and along the shores of Lake Turkana to stimulate economic growth and international tourism.

Given the scale and potential environmental impact of the LAPSSET corridor, all associated plans, strategic modifications, and sectoral programmes fall under statutory Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) regulations. Public authorities and planning bodies managing LAPSSET-related infrastructure frameworks are required to maintain strict consultation with environmental regulators throughout every implementation phase.

Under national SEA Regulations, planning entities must consult the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) across all stages of the assessment process, including screening, scoping, and the draft plan or environmental report stages. To ensure efficient statutory oversight, all formal SEA notifications, submission documents, and technical inquiries must be directed to the dedicated email address at [email protected], rather than general administrative channels like [email protected].

Planning authorities submitting LAPSSET-related environmental frameworks must adhere to specific documentation protocols at each step. During the screening stage, authorities must submit a Screening Statement electronically to [email protected], outlining the plan or modification alongside national and local background contexts and GIS-based spatial mapping. This statement must feature the formal SEA screening determination formulated in accordance with Annex II of the SEA Directive, Schedule 1 of S.I. No. 435 of 2004 (as amended), or Schedule 2 of S.I. No. 456 of 2025.

The SEA Process

At the scoping stage, submissions must include a Scoping Report detailing the scope and depth of information planned for the Environmental Report, aligning with Annex I of the SEA Directive and relevant statutory schedules, along with an active web link for the project under review. Once compiled, the Draft Plan and SEA Environmental Report must be transmitted electronically to [email protected], with an option for supplementary hard copies sent by post to the EPA SEA Team. Any subsequent structural or geographical modifications to LAPSSET project plans must undergo mandatory SEA screening, Appropriate Assessment (AA) screening, and related statutory checks. Upon formal adoption of any plan or programme, the completed SEA Statement (Information on Decision) must be forwarded electronically to conclude statutory compliance.