Delays in development of key transport links under the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset ) corridor have left completed facilities at the Lamu Port underutilised, denying the public the expected economic benefits from one of Kenya’s flagship infrastructure projects.
Latest audit disclosures by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu show that while the first three berths at the port are complete, cargo evacuation remains constrained by stalled or unstarted road projects linking the corridor to the hinterland.
The report details that critical routes, including Lamu-Ijara-Garissa-Isiolo and Isiolo-Maralal-Lokori-Lokichar, remain incomplete, effectively cutting off the port from the broader transport network it was designed to anchor.
This, the findings show, has slowed cargo movement and weakened the commercial viability of the port, raising concerns over returns on billions of shillings already sunk into the project.
‘As previously reported, the first three berths at the port of Lamu have been completed. However, cargo evacuation through the project’s intended route is facing serious challenges as construction of key infrastructure has not been completed, while others are yet to start,’ the Auditor General said.
‘ln the circumstances, delayed implementation of Lapsset Corridor Projects denied the public benefits that could have accrued from completed projects.’
Conceived as a transformative regional corridor linking Kenya to Ethiopia and to South Sudan, the Lapsset programme was expected to open up northern Kenya and ease pressure on the Port of Mombasa.
The project’s broader components – including highways, pipelines, railways, and resort cities – were designed to work as an integrated system, amplifying trade and investment across multiple sectors.
There, however, has been a lack of synchronisation between port development and inland connectivity, creating operational bottlenecks, that limit cargo throughput.
The stalled road network has blunted Lamu Port’s ability to compete with established routes, particularly the Northern Corridor anchored on Mombasa, which remains fully integrated.
The current audit adds to a growing list of concerns around the pace of implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects, many of which have faced delays linked to funding constraints and coordination challenges.