Thousands of luxury cars from Japan have been diverted to Kenya’s Lamu Island as conflict in the Middle East disrupts Gulf shipping routes.
Kenyan authorities reported that over 4,000 vehicles, including dozens of gleaming Porsches, were unloaded from two Italian Grimaldi Group ships last week.
The cars were originally bound for Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, which suffered Iranian air strikes on March 1, halting deliveries amid regional tensions.
The last vessel departed Yokohama, Japan, on February 24, just days before the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran.
Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is being developed as a major transport hub, offering an unexpected lifeline to stranded shipments.
Port manager Abdulaziz Mzee said ships intended for Gulf destinations are now drifting at sea, creating logistical challenges and commercial opportunities alike.
“It is not something to celebrate, because people are suffering, but at the same time it is a commercial blessing,” he told local media.
Authorities expect another container ship carrying 5,000 vehicles to arrive next week, reflecting Lamu’s growing capacity to handle global cargo diversions.
The Kenya Ports Authority said Lamu is “geared up for a spike” in traffic due to the ongoing Middle East war and shipping disruptions.
First announced in 2012 and operational since 2021, Lamu’s deep-water port forms part of a $23-billion transport corridor linking South Sudan and Ethiopia to the coast.
Officials envision Lamu becoming Africa’s leading transshipment hub, attracting commercial traffic from regions affected by geopolitical instability.
For now, the luxury vehicles will remain in Kenya until conditions in the Gulf stabilise, turning the island into a temporary haven for stranded shipments.