Iran’s Hormuz Blockade Is Helping a Little-Used Kenyan Port

By Helen Nyambura

Mar 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is turning Kenya’s Lamu port into a surprise refuge, as vessels bound for the Middle East divert and discharge cargo at the rarely used facility.

Lamu, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of the much busier Mombasa Port, has received 74 vessels since the start of the year, the Kenya Ports Authority said in a X post on Wednesday. That’s about a third of all ships it serviced since it opened in 2021. The port received just two container ships in the first quarter of last year.  

With Hormuz all but closed, shipping lines have limited access to the Dubai’s Jebel Ali, the busiest container port outside of Asia — and are avoiding the Red Sea, opting instead for the longer journey around southern Africa. Many are now discharging cargo in Lamu.

“The Port of Lamu is geared up for a spike in vessel calls in the coming days,” the authority said on X. “A development that is expected to inject fresh momentum into regional trade and strengthen the Port’s position as a leading transshipment hub in the region.”

The MV Grande Florida Palermo made a call at Lamu on Wednesday, laden with 3,800 vehicles from Yokohama, Japan, just days after another car carrier discharged hundreds of vehicles that was destined for Jebel Ali.

Another vessel is scheduled to offload 5,000 vehicles next week, KPA Managing Director William Ruto said.

“Lamu Port is expecting more vessels to divert, as several shipping agents have already inquired about docking space,” said Lappset, an agency in charge of a transport corridor that includes Lamu port.

Before the US-Israel attack on Iran, it was difficult for Lamu to attract business because neighboring Ethiopia — Africa’s most-populous nation after Nigeria — mainly uses a port in Djibouti. Meanwhile, shippers prefer Mombasa because it has road and rail links to Uganda in the west. 

Lamu was conceived as part of a regional infrastructure plan that includes an oil pipeline from northwestern Kenya. The so-called Lapsset corridor envisages linking the pipeline, roads, rail and airports in Kenya to neighboring Ethiopia and South Sudan. 

But that’s yet to happen. The port has built just three of its planned 32 berths for about $480 million. 

Another concern for potential users is Lamu’s location. The idyllic resort town lies about 100 kilometers from the Somalia border and has come under multiple attacks from al-Shabaab — an al-Qaeda-backed group of insurgents.

But for now, the war is helping. The port charges $10 per car for storage after a free period of 10 days. 

As of March 11, Lamu said it had received 43 vessels from the start of the year. On Wednesday, the authority said 74 ships had used the port this year.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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