LAPSSET to Provide Ethiopia with Additional Access to the Sea: Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary

Addis Ababa, July 30, 2026 (FMC) — The Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor will provide Ethiopia with an additional gateway to the sea while advancing regional integration among East African nations, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said.

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, said the LAPSSET Corridor is a multi-country initiative involving Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan aimed at improving regional transport connectivity and expanding access to ports.

He said the three countries are working to expand the Port of Lamu and develop the supporting transport infrastructure, noting that the corridor will provide Ethiopia with an additional route to the sea while strengthening trade and economic integration across the region.

The Kenyan official also highlighted growing cooperation in the energy sector, saying Kenya has entered into electricity purchase and supply arrangements with Ethiopia to import power generated from the country’s hydropower projects.

According to him, transmission lines have already been established to carry electricity from Ethiopia into Kenya, with parts of the network extending toward Tanzania, creating a broader regional energy corridor.

He further pointed to increasing private-sector engagement, citing Safaricom’s investment in Ethiopia as a reflection of growing confidence in bilateral cooperation, as reported by local news agency ENA.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary said collaboration between Ethiopia and Kenya continues to expand across infrastructure, energy, and investment, expressing confidence that the two economies will become increasingly integrated in the years ahead.