The LuLu Coastal Cable System was announced this week at ITW Africa 2026 as Kenya’s first fully protected coastal submarine cable. It stretches 500km from Mombasa to Lamu with five landing points, including Vipingo SEZ, Kilifi and Malindi. They are designed to bring resilient connectivity to a stretch of coastline that has not had a single unified digital infrastructure system before. A coalition of five companies, spanning infrastructure, banking, legal and regulatory work, stands behind the announcement. Each bringing a different piece of expertise to the project. Together, they are positioning Kenya’s coast as a serious digital and industrial growth corridor for the wider region.
What the LuLu Coastal Cable System Actually Offers
The LuLu Coastal cable system combines ambitious engineering with built-in resilience. A submarine cable runs alongside a protected land route, keeping traffic flowing even if one path is disrupted. The system uses 144 fibres and DWDM technology. Each fibre pair is designed to eventually carry up to 60 terabits of data per second. Centralised network management will oversee the entire route from a single point. While its capacity is designed to serve users for 25 years. By reaching Mombasa, the system will also connect immediately to existing submarine cables. They will link the new coastal route to the wider global internet from day one.
What Comes Next for the Project
Like most large infrastructure projects of this scale. The LuLu Coastal cable system still has a few practical steps ahead before construction begins in earnest. The coalition of partners is still finalising formal contracts while targeting service for the second quarter of 2028. That is a fairly ordinary stage for a project this size, coming shortly after a public announcement backed by supportive statements from every named partner. INDOI, Blue Trade, ARISE IIP, AfriTrade Consulting Group and Kingdom Bank each bring real infrastructure, banking and regulatory experience that should help the project move toward that 2028 target smoothly.
Vipingo SEZ, Kenya’s industrial zone near Kilifi, could matter most here, since direct submarine cable access could draw data centres, fintech platforms and business process outsourcing campuses alongside its existing manufacturing tenants. That shift, from an industrial park toward a genuine digital corridor, marks the real opportunity the LuLu Coastal cable system could unlock for the region over the next few years. The coalition behind it brings the kind of combined experience that large infrastructure projects typically need to succeed.
The coalition behind it brings the kind of combined experience that large infrastructure projects typically need to succeed. If it reaches completion on schedule. Kenya’s coast stands to gain a resilient piece of digital infrastructure that has been missing until now. George Olaka, Country Head of ARISE IIP Kenya, described the shift this way: “Direct, resilient submarine cable connectivity within the zone strengthens VSEZ’s ability to attract not only manufacturers, but also the digital and technology-driven businesses that increasingly sit at the centre of modern industry. We believe LuLu can help position Kenya’s Coast as both an industrial and digital growth corridor for the region.”
