Project Scope, Costs & Countries Involved

The LAPSSET Corridor is a mega-infrastructure initiative with the aim of opening up northern and eastern Kenya, integrating transport, energy, oil-and-gas, urban/resort development, and regional trade. Vision 2030+2African Association of Entrepreneurs+2

Key components include:

• A deep-water port at Lamu (at Manda Bay) capable of accommodating very large vessels. lapsset.go.ke+1

• A network of highways (road links) connecting Lamu to Isiolo, Garissa, and onward to Ethiopia and South Sudan. Vision 2030+1

• A standard gauge railway (SGR) along the corridor to serve the region. Zawya+1

• Oil-and-gas pipelines (crude and refined) connecting upstream sources (e.g., Turkana, South Sudan) to the coast via Lamu. Vision 2030+1

• Resort cities and urban development nodes, including in Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana shores. The Standard+1

• Power transmission, international airports, free zone/industrial zones and other ancillary infrastructure. NEMA+1

The full project has been given figures ranging up to US$25 billion (≈ KSh 3.2 trillion) in coverage of the entire corridor. Afrika Daily+1

For example, one article noted “Sh2 trillion” as the ambitious cost of the project in Kenya. The Standard

Specific parts:

• The deep-water port at Lamu: one source states a budget of ~ KSh 200 billion (≈ US$2 billion) for the development of the port (32-berth port). kenyayetu.app

• The SGR link alone from Lamu-Isiolo etc: estimated cost ~ KSh 2.4 trillion (≈ US$16 billion). Zawya

Annual budget allocations to the corridor authority and planning are much smaller (e.g., KSh 526 million in 2025 for the authority’s planning functions) which reflects planning costs, not full build costs.