BY PATRICK BEJA
Lamu,Kenya: A State corporation has been formed to steer the implementation of the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET corridor), sparking mixed reactions from stakeholders in Coast province.
It has been established that the declaration of the corporation was one of the last acts of the State by retired President Mwai Kibaki.
Mr Kibaki announced the formation of the new authority to manage the Lamu port project through a special gazette notice on April 1, this year.
He had earlier on March 22 this year issued an executive order to form the body to be headed by a Director General.
Although stakeholders have welcomed the recent formation of Lapsset Corridor Development Authority, some expressed various concerns about the decision even as Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) prepares to review its Act to accommodate changes in the industry.
Abdalla Fadhil, chairman of the Lamu Port Steering Committee, claimed the formation of the new authority and the tender for port construction were awarded to a Chinese firm under terms that were unclear to Lamu County residents.
Done in haste
He claimed the formation of the authority and the Sh41 billion contract for building three berths at Lamu were done in haste as the local people were not consulted.
“Before the contract moves to the ground, we demand full disclosure of information about the construction of the port and get representation in the new authority.
We also demand compensation for local land owners and to be fully engaged by the Government,” Mr Fadhil said.
Noting that the residents’ committee has not received any letter about the new authority or the port contractor, Mr Fadhili called on the Jubilee administration to change the terms of engagement with the people in Lamu county and ensure regular flow of information.
“We want the new government to change the trend on the ground because as a committee we cannot allow to be used as a rubber stamp in the Lapsset project,” he said.
A maritime expert with Ultimate Maritime Consultants, Stanley Chai called for more input of professional maritime experts in the development of Lamu port.
“The Lapsset project is almost laughable to say the least. I have also seen the announcement of the set-up of the new authority.
What baffles us in the Maritime world is why two authorities in a country should manage similar entities,” he noted.
Limited tenure
He said the prudent practice would be for a single authority in Kenya to manage independent legal defined ports.
The architects of the Lapsset project imagine that it was just enough to build berths and ships.
He said it was not in order to place such a project under the Prime Minister’s office which had a limited tenure in office.
“I know of very high-tech port berths in the world that were built and 14 years down the line, no single ship has visited so far and we are sure none is likely to visit in the near future,” he noted.
