Kenyan Speaker Wetang'ula says Kenya could adopt China's automated port model at Lamu

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said Kenya could adopt China's automated port operations to modernise Lamu Port, speaking during a tour of Tianjin Port in China, The Star reported on 14 October 2026.

The Speaker toured Tianjin Port and the Modern Industrial Exhibition and Exchange Centre in Binhai New Area as part of the 2026 Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges, according to The Star. He said lessons from Tianjin Port, one of China's major maritime gateways, could help Kenya improve efficiency. Cooperation between Tianjin and Lamu could also support technology transfer, training and the adoption of cleaner cargo-handling equipment, he said.

"Kenya can adapt these lessons to make Lamu more efficient, competitive and attractive to shipping lines and investors," Wetang'ula said, as quoted by The Star.

Lamu Port is a key component of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, The Star reported. It is expected to complement the Port of Mombasa and offer an alternative gateway for landlocked countries in the region.

Wetang'ula also cited trade figures. He said Kenya imported goods worth about US$5.19 billion from China in 2025, against exports valued at US$130.8 million, The Star reported.

Capital FM reported on 12 October 2026 that Wetang'ula was in Beijing for the Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges, which the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries initiated in 2023. The forum brings together more than 60 legislators and former legislators from five continents. Wetang'ula said Kenya would use it to strengthen ties with China's National People's Congress and other legislatures, according to Capital FM.

Three MPs accompanied the Speaker on the Tianjin visit, The Star reported: Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, nominated MP Irene Mayaka and Kiminini MP John Chikati.

Baya said modernising Lamu Port could create jobs for coastal communities and support investment in the blue economy. "Lamu cannot remain an underutilised asset," he said, as quoted by The Star.

Mayaka said, as quoted by The Star: "What impressed me in Tianjin is the deliberate investment in people behind the technology." Chikati said Parliament would be central to developing policies and standards so that foreign investment benefits Kenya over the long term, according to the paper.

Wetang'ula said 144 technical training institutions in Kenya had received modern equipment and 314 trainers had been trained through Kenya–China programmes, The Star reported.

"Our goal is to turn the friendship between Kenya and China into jobs, inclusive growth and lasting prosperity," he said, as quoted by The Star.