Africa agency line
Vessels bound for Lamu, Kenya, get one instruction, one proforma DA and one desk to call: container feeders, bulk carriers, project vessels and naval vessels are attended by our own staff.
A call at Lamu Port, Kenya begins with the port's geography: Manda Bay on Kenya's northern coast, where the new deep-water berths at Kililana were built under the LAPSSET programme. Vessels work three long berths designed for deep-draft vessels, with transshipment and bulk handling still building volume, and which of these the vessel is bound for decides the pilot, the stevedores, the gate and the receiver's arrangements. Maingate Shipping plans the call from that decision outward.
Transshipment containers, project cargo for the corridor works, and the first bulk and general cargo calls make up the trade, and the LAPSSET corridor towards Isiolo, Ethiopia and South Sudan is the port's long-term catchment. The desk's job is to keep the vessel's time at the berth spent on cargo, not on the documents that should have been ready before she arrived.
The particularity of Lamu that shapes every call: services at Lamu are thinner than at Mombasa, so provisions, spares and specialist contractors are usually brought up from Mombasa by road or sea.
Each line is quoted in the proforma DA for Lamu Port, Kenya and supported by a receipt in the final account.
Preparation for Lamu runs on a checklist that the desk sends the principal with the proforma DA: the documents the port wants, the documents the receiver wants and the cut-off times for each. Berth application at three long berths designed for deep-draft vessels or the relevant working area, pilot booking and the notices to the authorities follow as soon as the ETA is firm.
The master receives a pre-arrival message with the anchorage position, the pilot boarding arrangements, the agent's contact and what the boarding officer will bring on arrival.
The cargoes worked at Lamu are transshipment containers, project cargo for the corridor works, and the first bulk and general cargo calls, and each has its own rhythm of gangs, gear and receivers. The desk agrees the discharge or loading plan with the master and the stevedores, keeps the daily figures and records every stoppage with its reason and its duration.
Surveyors appointed by cargo or vessel interests are given access and information; the desk does not act for them, but it makes sure they are there when the operation needs them.
The LAPSSET corridor towards Isiolo, Ethiopia and South Sudan is the port's long-term catchment. Transit documents, delivery orders, customs release and the receiver's transport are coordinated so that cargo leaves the quay as it lands and the vessel is not held by a document.
For vessels calling more than one port in Kenya or the region, the desk plans the sequence and keeps quantities and documents consistent between calls.
The airport for Lamu is Manda Airport, with connections through Nairobi, and crew changes here are feasible with planning; the desk confirms the immigration position for each nationality when the crew list arrives. Bunkering at Lamu is arranged with notice, and where it is not, the desk plans the stem at the nearest port on the route.
Spares are cleared in transit and delivered on board, cash to master is delivered against the master's signature, and a doctor is brought to the vessel or the seafarer taken to hospital as the case requires.
Services at Lamu are thinner than at Mombasa, so provisions, spares and specialist contractors are usually brought up from Mombasa by road or sea. The desk plans around this rather than discovering it on the day, and tells the principal at nomination what it means for the call's timing and cost.
Our own staff know the port from daily attendance.
Maingate Shipping's own staff.
Crew changes are feasible with planning through Manda Airport, with connections through Nairobi; the desk confirms the immigration requirements for each nationality on the crew list.
Bunkers can be arranged at Lamu with notice; where quantities or grades are not available, the desk advises the nearest port where they are.
The vessel's name and particulars, ETA, cargo or purpose of the call, the principal's name and the party responsible for the account, and any services the vessel needs. A proforma DA follows promptly.
Yes. Multi-port itineraries in Kenya and across East Africa are handled as one appointment with a separate DA per port.
One instruction, one account, one contact for the master and one for the principal.
Where a Lamu call usually leads next.
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