Construction work now underway at the site of Lamu Port in Kenya, July 30, 2017. (Photo: Xinhua)

Kenya's Chinese-built port in the coastal island of Lamu is expected to be launched in December, the port agency said on Monday.

Daniel Manduku, managing director of Kenya Ports Authority(KPA) told Xinhua in Nairobi that the facility that was constructed by the China Communication Construction Company will receive its first ship from the Maersk Shipping line next month.

"The Lamu port will mainly be a transshipping hub for cargo destined for ports such as Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Maputo," Manduku said.

Construction of the first berth has been completed and two others should be completed by the end of 2020. "The third berth will be modified to handle crude oil exports from Kenya's northwest region," Manduku added.

Maduku noted that the first three berths will be funded by the government while another 29 berths should be developed under a public-private partnership model.

The port agency said that the Lamu port will complement the existing port of Mombasa to help facilitate the movement of cargo in and out of Kenya and its neighboring states, enhancing Kenya's status as a regional transportation hub because of the ability to handle larger sea vessels.

"The new port is also expected to handle cargo to and from southern Ethiopia," Manduku revealed.