Kenya launches protected coastal cable project linking Mombasa and Lamu
A consortium has launched the LuLu Coastal Cable System, a proposed submarine and terrestrial network along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline. The system is designed to connect five landing points, improve resilience and support data centres, cloud services and other digital industries. It is expected to be ready in 2028, subject to contracts.
Kenya’s coastal digital infrastructure is set for expansion following the launch of the LuLu Coastal Cable System, described by its developers as the country’s first fully protected coastal submarine cable network. The project was launched at ITW Africa 2026. It is being developed by INDOI Ltd, Blue Trade Investments, ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, AfriTrade Consulting Group and Kingdom Bank.
The system is planned to connect five landing points along the 500-kilometre coastline between Mombasa and Lamu. The locations named in the project statement include Mombasa, Vipingo Special Economic Zone, Kilifi and Malindi. LuLu will combine a submarine cable on the ocean floor with a parallel protected terrestrial route.
Its developers say the dual-path design will provide redundancy and improve availability for governments, international operators, data centres and other critical users. The system is planned to use dense wavelength division multiplexing and 144 fibre pairs. Its stated design capacity is up to 60 terabits per second per fibre pair, with an operating life of 25 years.
The project is expected to be ready for service in the second quarter of 2028, subject to the execution of contracts. INDOI’s Kenya-registered partner, Blue Trade Investments, will handle cable landing, regulatory liaison and operational delivery in the country. The developers say direct connectivity at Vipingo could support data centres, cloud-service nodes, business-process outsourcing, fintech, cybersecurity and internet-of-things manufacturing.
ARISE IIP said the cable could help position the zone as an industrial and digital platform. The project’s advisers cautioned that regulatory, licensing and commercial execution would be necessary for successful delivery.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.