Renovation of the four jetties in Lamu County, Kenya is ahead of schedule and completed works stand at 40%. The US $6.5m reconstruction was commissioned by the national government last year after they fell into disrepair due to lack of maintenance.
The reconstruction project
The State Department of Public Work’s decision to have the jetties reconstructed will provide the much needed relief for sea travelers and boat operators who have borne the brunt of having to use the dilapidated facilities following years of neglect.
The four jetties under repair are Mokowe, Mangrove and Manda Airport, in Lamu West, and Mtangawanda jetty in Lamu East. The Structural Engineer in the State Department of Public Works Hillary Nyaanga revealed that presently, the contractors have been working around the clock to complete the jetties, which he said had been in dire need of repair after several years of use.
He added that most of the jetties would be completed by early next year with projections that the Mangrove jetty would be completed by February 2020.
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Smart and modern facilities
“The Manda jetty which is the airport jetty has also been rebuilt afresh, and the contractor has done a good job so far in ensuring that it is also handicap friendly and has safe railings,” the senior government engineer said. He further revealed that the government was also building a 220m sea wall in Manda that was previously not there, that would aid in handling more boats to dock easily as they ferry travelers to and from the Manda airport jetty.
Nyaanga reiterated that the national government had disbursed all the funds needed to ensure reconstruction works of the four jetties do not stall at any point, adding that the fund had fully been factored into the country’s 2019/2020 budget. On his part Lamu County Commissioner Macharia Irungu said that the jetties were likely to spur trade with an increase in cargo volumes due to the jetties now being safe to use once complete.
