Kenya has taken a significant step towards transforming its coastal digital infrastructure with the launch of the LuLu Coastal Cable System, the first fully protected submarine cable network in the country. This initiative was unveiled during the ITW Africa 2026 event and is set to connect five strategic landing points along Kenya's 500-kilometre coastline, ranging from Mombasa to Lamu.

Developed by a consortium including INDOI Ltd, Blue Trade Investments Limited, ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, AfriTrade Consulting Group, and Kingdom Bank Limited, the LuLu system combines a submarine cable laid on the ocean floor with a parallel terrestrial route. This dual-path architecture aims to enhance resilience, redundancy, and network availability for various users, including governments, international operators, and data-centre companies.

The cable system is designed to deploy dense wavelength division multiplexing technology operating in the 1550-nanometre window, featuring 144 fibre pairs with a remarkable design capacity of up to 60 terabits per second per fibre pair. According to INDOI Ltd, the LuLu Coastal Cable System is expected to operate for 25 years, with centralized network management, and is anticipated to be ready for service by the second quarter of 2028, pending contract execution.

Arunachalam Kandasamy, the founder and CEO of INDOI Ltd, emphasized the project's importance in addressing a significant infrastructure gap along Kenya’s coast. He stated, "East Africa is not a market of the future — it is a market of right now. Kenya’s coastal corridor, from Mombasa to Lamu, is one of the most dynamic, strategically significant and commercially compelling stretches of coastline on the planet."

The cable's landing points include Mombasa, Vipingo Special Economic Zone (VSEZ), Kilifi, and Malindi. The inclusion of the Vipingo SEZ is particularly noteworthy, as it is expected to broaden the zone's investment potential beyond traditional manufacturing and logistics. The direct submarine cable connectivity could facilitate the establishment of hyperscale data centres, cloud-service regional nodes, and various technology-driven enterprises.

George Olaka, the country head of ARISE IIP Kenya, highlighted that the LuLu system would bolster Vipingo’s vision of becoming an integrated industrial and digital platform. He remarked, "Vipingo SEZ was never intended to be a conventional industrial zone. We are building it as a platform where industry, logistics, value addition and digital infrastructure can reinforce each other."

The project is projected to mobilize up to $3 billion in investment, reflecting the growing importance of digital infrastructure in driving economic activities along Kenya’s coast. Anthony Mburu, the Managing Director and CEO of Kingdom Bank Limited, noted that the LuLu Cable System underscores the increasing significance of digital connectivity in fostering investment and economic growth in the region.

Dr. Caroline Saroni, CEO of AfriTrade Consulting Group, stressed that the success of the LuLu project hinges on effective regulatory and commercial execution. She stated, "A project of LuLu’s ambition succeeds only when vision is matched by careful execution," indicating that the collaboration among stakeholders will be crucial for unlocking investment opportunities across Kenya's coastal regions, including the LAPSSET corridor.