The same day President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the new Lamu port, Kenya agricultural firm Kakuzi exported an 80 ton cargo of avocados to France via the facility.
Kakuzi’s Managing Director Chris Flowers said the new port was a game changer for exporters and importers alike because of the many benefits on offer.
He said the port will greatly benefit the country and spur economic activities in Lamu and widen cross border trade with South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Flowers said each container is 40 feet with a controlled atmosphere cooling system keeping temperatures at 6 degrees to prevent the fruit from ripening before it arrives.
On Thursday President Uhuru commissioned the first berth of the Lamu port and two ships immediately docked as the facility started operations in the 32,400 metres berth Lamu port with a capacity to handle 80,000 containers in earnest.
Uhuru said the port will create thousands of jobs to the youth, spur economic growth of the coast and northern Kenya and reduce pressure on Mombasa port.The port shall generate billions of foreign exchange from handling Ethiopia and South Sudan cargo.
