Iran’s Hormuz Blockade Is Helping a Little-Used Kenyan Port

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is turning Kenya’s Lamu port into a surprise refuge, as vessels bound for the Middle East divert and discharge cargo at the rarely used facility.

Lamu, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of the much busier Mombasa Port, has received 74 vessels since the start of the year, the Kenya Ports Authority said in a X post on Wednesday. That’s about a third of all ships it serviced since it opened in 2021. The port received just two container ships in the first quarter of last year.