Luxury car ship diverts to Lamu as conflict disrupts Gulf routes

According to Capt. Abdulaziz Mzee, General Manager of Lamu Port, the vessel, Grande Florida, was carrying 3,800 cars and was originally destined for Port Jebel Ali in Saudi Arabia. However, it diverted to Lamu due to the ongoing war.

“The ship, known as Grande Florida, belongs to Grimaldi Shipping Line. It has a capacity of 9,000 cars but arrived in Lamu with 3,800 vehicles that were meant for Saudi Arabia. Due to the ongoing conflict, it was forced to divert,” Abdulaziz said.

He added that Grande Florida is the second vessel from the same shipping line to dock at Lamu carrying vehicles. The first ship delivered 468 cars, bringing the total number received at the port to 4,268.

Abdulaziz noted that the vehicles will be stored in port warehouses for an unspecified period as the conflict continues in the region.

He further revealed that Lamu Port is expecting more vessels to divert, as several shipping agents have already inquired about docking space.

“We are still expecting more ships to dock at Lamu Port. Several vessels that were headed to Gulf countries can no longer reach their destinations due to the ongoing conflict. Many are now stranded at sea, consuming large amounts of fuel as crews search for safe docking points to restock food and water,” he explained.

The increased activity at the port has also created employment opportunities for local youths, who are assisting with offloading the vehicles.

“We have employed youths from Lamu to help offload the cars and move them to the parking area,” he said.

“However, we hired a few experienced drivers from Mombasa since most of these luxury cars are left-hand drive and manual, requiring specialized handling,” he added.

This development comes as Lamu Port experiences increased activity, having received a significant number of containers in recent weeks. According to the managing director, activity at the port is expected to continue improving as the year progresses.