Lamu Port welcomes 366-metre MV Hamouna carrying 14,500 containers

The Port of Lamu on Saturday recorded another milestone after receiving MV Hamouna, a 366-metre container vessel, underscoring the port’s deep-water capability and its growing role as a transshipment and regional trade hub along the LAPSSET Corridor.

The vessel arrived carrying about 14,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), of which about 5,200 are scheduled for discharge at Lamu. The containers will later be transshipped to other destinations by smaller feeder vessels.

MV Hamouna navigated about 14 nautical miles through the Eastern Channel before berthing safely.

Speaking after the berthing, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Capt. William Ruto said the vessel’s arrival demonstrated Lamu’s rising importance as a strategic maritime hub in the region.

“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,” said Capt. Ruto.

He noted that the recent groundbreaking of the Dangote East Africa Refinery would further boost port operations and open up more opportunities for maritime and logistics services in the region.

The port’s capacity to handle some of the world’s largest vessels is supported by its deep-water harbour and modern berthing infrastructure. Its berths have a depth of about 17.5 metres, providing sufficient draught for large ships. MV Hamouna is among the largest vessels to call at Lamu this year.

Earlier this year, MV Baltimore Express, a 369-metre container vessel operated by German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd, also called at the port. In August 2025, another Hapag-Lloyd vessel, MV Nagoya Express, measuring 335 metres, set a vessel-size record at the port.

In keeping with maritime tradition, Capt. Ruto presented a certificate of first call and a plaque to the vessel’s master, Capt. Mir Firoozi, during the maiden-call ceremony.

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