Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is a government owned corporation who manages and operates all scheduled seaports in the country. KPA operates the Port of Mombasa, the most modern port in the East and Central Africa region, the Port of Lamu which was recently commissioned and is currently operational. and the Port of Kisumu in the lake region of Kenya.
In the last two decades KPA has pursued partnerships with the community in a bid to provide social value and create positive impact to society. Through the KPA Corporate Social Investment program “Tunahusika”, the Authority continues to make big investments in education, health, sports and environment sectors through project development, sponsorships and donations. Through its Master and Strategic Plan, KPA prioritized sustainable port infrastructure developments that ensure posterity for communities and protection of the environment.
One of such KPA mega projects implemented is the development of the second commercial Port in Lamu. The port is projected to have a total of 23 berths measuring 400 meters long with the initial three berths completed in 2021 and currently operational. Construction of the port involved dredging of the access channel to 17 metres depth to allow for the docking of panamax and post panamax vessels. With dredging taking place in the area where the majority of fishing activity occurs, KPA partnered with the affected fisherfolk to develop a compensation plan to ensure sustainability of the project and cushion the community from the impact of the project through economic empowerment initiatives.
Respectively, KPA has set aside 1.76 billion Kenyan shillings to compensate the 4734 fisherfolk who were impacted. The compensation plan entailed sixty five percent cash payouts with the remaining 35 percent set aside for the procurement of fishing gear including modern boats and fishing nets as well as training opportunities. As part of the plan, the Authority further constructed landing sites for the fisherfolk. To foster the communal relations, KPA has also prioritized employment of local workforce at the Port of Lamu, building their competencies and skill in port operations and management through training.