Omanghana
Kenya’s Port of Lamu has recorded its largest single-vessel container operation after the Iranian-flagged MV Hamouna discharged approximately 5,200 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The 366-metre vessel arrived from China on Saturday, October 3, 2026, carrying about 14,500 TEUs. The operation marked the first time a vessel had discharged more than 5,000 TEUs at a Kenyan port, according to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto.
The ship reached the port after navigating about 14 nautical miles through the Eastern Channel. Its successful berthing highlighted Lamu’s deep-water infrastructure, including berths with a depth of approximately 17.5 metres.
The containers discharged at Lamu will be transferred to smaller feeder vessels for onward delivery to other regional destinations. The operation is expected to strengthen the port’s position as a transshipment and trade hub along the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor.
Captain Ruto said the achievement demonstrated Lamu’s growing capacity to handle some of the world’s largest container ships and placed the facility at the centre of Kenya’s maritime expansion.
The milestone comes shortly after Kenya and Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote broke ground for a planned $16 billion East Africa refinery in Lamu. The proposed facility is expected to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and is scheduled for completion by 2030.
Preparations for the refinery have already increased activity at the port. The MV Da Yang Bai He recently delivered about 2,930 tonnes of heavy construction equipment for the project. Once completed, the refinery is expected to supply petroleum products to Kenya and other markets across the region, creating additional demand for port, logistics and maritime services.
Source: Omanghana
