During a visit to Tianjin Port and the Modern Industrial Exhibition and Exchange Centre in China, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula said Kenya could adopt automated port operations to overhaul Lamu Port, streamline cargo handling and position the country as a major logistics hub in East Africa.

Wetangula highlighted how automation, artificial intelligence and green energy have turned Tianjin into an industrial driver and suggested similar digitisation could make Lamu more efficient, competitive and attractive to shipping lines and investors.

Lamu Port is a central pillar of the LAPSSET Corridor, intended to relieve congestion at the Port of Mombasa while offering a direct maritime gateway for Kenya’s landlocked neighbours.

Wetangula said fully unlocking the port’s potential would require major investment in automated cargo systems, digital logistics frameworks and streamlined customs protocols to eliminate delays and give regional shippers predictability.

He noted that bilateral collaboration with Tianjin could facilitate technology transfers, specialised training and eco‑friendly equipment upgrades, linking logistics improvements to Kenya’s need to address a large trade imbalance with China.

Wetangula also pointed to growing green‑energy projects, citing a proposed Dangote refinery and an electric‑vehicle partnership with Endelevu Enterprise Corporation as examples of how modernised logistics could support domestic manufacturing and export growth.

Accompanying the speaker were Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, nominated MP Irene Mayaka and Kiminini MP John Chikati, who said Parliament will draft legislation to ensure foreign investment delivers sustainable local benefits, including environmental safeguards, local‑content mandates and skills acquisition.

Wetangula urged both nations to move beyond finished‑goods trade, highlighting vocational education cooperation that has equipped 144 technical institutions and trained 314 instructors across Kenya, and proposing an expanded model for clean energy, advanced manufacturing and agriculture.