Construction of Lokichar-Lamu oil pipeline set for 2022

Construction of the Lokichar-Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline will kick off in 2022 just two years after completion of the first three berths at the new Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project.

Speaking during an inspection tour at the port site in Kililana, the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director Daniel Manduku said they were engaging various private sector investors before deciding the appropriate investor to work with in implementing the various Lapsset project components including the oil pipeline as well as the proposed coal-fired power plant.

The construction of the Sh60 billion Lamu-Garissa-Isiolo road which is set to commence in January, 2019, is also expected to help in facilitating the pipeline project implementation since it will provide a critical logistics support.

“Th Lokichar-Lamu Crude Oil Pipeline project is lined up to take place in 2022. We want to give duration of two years after completion of the first three berths at the Lapsset so that we can use this period to engage the private sector investors to see which one to work with in implementing the pipeline project by the year 2022,” said Mr Manduku.

The pipeline project is under a joint partnership between the Kenya Government and the oil companies’ consortium of Tullow Oil Kenya B.V, Africa Oil Turkana Ltd and Total Oil (formally Maersk Oil).

The project spans six regions across Kenya and will commence in Turkana County, South East of the Lokichar Oil Fields and cut across Samburu, Isiolo, Meru, Garissa and Lamu counties.