Lamu Port breaks record with massive container ship discharge

By Onyekachi Mwine · October 6, 2026, 9:30 PM · Updated October 6, 2026, 10:43 PM · 3 minutes read

The Port of Lamu just handled its biggest container vessel yet. The MV Hamouna unloaded 5,200 TEUs, putting Lamu ahead of Mombasa for single-vessel throughput.

MV Hamouna pulled into Lamu and changed the game. The 366-metre container ship, run by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), unloaded 5,200 TEUs in one go. That’s the most Lamu Port has ever handled from a single vessel. It’s also more than any ship has ever discharged at Kenya’s main port in Mombasa.

Kenya Ports Authority boss Captain William Ruto called it straight: “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.” MV Hamouna had to travel 14 nautical miles through the Eastern Channel before docking. That route needs deep water and solid berthing gear. Lamu has both. Details are in a Capital FM report.

Lamu Port features three operational berths, each 400 meters long, with natural channel depths reaching approximately 17 meters—enabling it to handle Panamax and Post-Panamax vessels exceeding 10,000 TEU capacity.

Deep-water capacity and regional ambitions

Lamu’s berths go 17.5 meters deep. That’s enough for mega-ships. MV Hamouna, loaded with about 14,500 TEUs, is one of the biggest ships to visit Lamu in 2026. Earlier, the MV Baltimore Express and MV Nagoya Express called at Lamu, but neither matched this scale. After unloading, smaller feeder ships will move the containers to their final stops. Lamu is now a real transhipment hub. A Business Insider Africa analysis says this operation cements Lamu’s role in cargo redistribution, including routes to the Persian Gulf.

Lamu’s location matters. It anchors the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridor (LAPSSET). This corridor aims to turn northern Kenya into a trade gateway for Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Horn of Africa. It links highways, rail, pipelines, special economic zones, and new towns into one logistics network.

The Lamu Port operation is seen as a pivotal step in establishing the facility as a major transshipment hub for East Africa, with part of the cargo destined for further distribution by feeder vessels to markets in the Persian Gulf and beyond.

Nation Africa

Industrial expansion and future prospects

During the ship’s first call, Captain Ruto handed a certificate of first call and a plaque to Captain M. Firoozi, master of the MV Hamouna. It was a milestone for Lamu. The port’s momentum is set to grow. The planned Dangote East Africa Refinery is coming. Captain Ruto says the Sh2.2 trillion (US$17 billion) refinery will process 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day when finished in 40 months. That means more cargo and more logistics work for Lamu.

MV Hamouna’s record call is more than just numbers. It shows Lamu is now a real player in East African shipping. The deep-water port works. Big industry is on the way. Lamu is ready to take on the region’s top ports. The competition just got serious.

Topics: Infrastructure Ports East Africa #Kenya #Lamu Port #Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor #Ports & Logistics Hubs

Author

Onyekachi Mwine

Onyekachi Mwine is the Business, Investment & Infrastructure Editor at The Africans Time. He covers companies, investment, trade, infrastructure, energy and mining, with particular attention to how financing, ownership and execution shape projects across African economies.