09/07/2026
Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, has chosen the Lamu Port as his preferred spot to establish a $17 billion refinery. WHY LAMU?
Most Kenyans don't know why Lamu Port is such a big deal. It is a special port, and I'll take you through a brief history to learn a thing or two.
When the British colonized Kenya, they built almost everything around one transport corridor, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu. Not because of anything, but it was simply a transport corridor connecting Kenya's post in Mombasa with the interior. First came the railway. Then roads. Then electricity. Then industries. Then jobs. Then towns and cities grew along that line.
That is why today Mombasa, Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu and surrounding towns are among Kenya's biggest economic centres. Development followed the transport corridor.
But there was one place experts had talked about for decades, LAMU. The waters off Lamu are naturally very deep. It is a natural deep sea port given to us by God. It is the only deep sea port in the region and beyond, inducing the middle east. It can handle bigger ships. Ships don't have to wait for massive dredging like in many other ports. For years, planners and engineers saw its potential, but the idea remained on paper.
Then came President Uhuru Kenyatta. Instead of relying on only one gateway at Mombasa, his administration began building Lamu Port as the anchor of the LAPSSET (Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport) Corridor. This idea was birthed during the colonial era, but we waited for decades for it to happen. The dream was revisited under Kibaki's administration (remember Uhuru was Kibaki's Finance CS), but then there was the issue of funding. By the time Kibaki was leaving the office, nothing had been done but all the planning was in place.
The vision was simple but powerful. Build a second economic corridor for Kenya. Connect Lamu to Garissa, Isiolo, South Sudan and Ethiopia through highways, rail, pipelines and other infrastructure. Above all, the new transport corridor would create new centres of economic activity, towns, industries, factories, tourism, logistics hubs and millions of opportunities in parts of Kenya that had been left behind for generations.
If one transport corridor transformed Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu and surrounding towns within a 300 kilometres radius into economic giants over the last 100 years, imagine what a second corridor can do for Lamu, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit and northern Kenya over the next 100 years.
That is why Lamu Port is not just another port. It's a dream. A big one. Uhunyee ensured the first 4 berths were built, the port opened to the market and above all, initial equipment was availed. That alone laid the foundation of Kenya's second great economic corridor.
When we tell you that Uhuru was a president of the future who happened too early, this is what we mean.
By the way if you want to invest, go to Lamu. You will find plenty of Njoroges and Wanjikus there. Even the women rep there is called Hon. Muthoni Marubu.
Kihuria Ndorongo John ,big up for this information
