LAPSSET Infrastructural Initiative and Economic Security Stabilization in the Horn of Africa Region [Master’s thesis, Riara University].
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Date
2026-05-06
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Riara University
Abstract
Located in the Horn of Africa (HoA), the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) infrastructural initiative was conceived in 1975 as a strategic resource for spurring economic growth and stabilization of a region historically riddled by both ecological fragility and ideological conflict. However, for several decades the initiative remained lull, until 2012, when it was revamped with the mandate of: decongesting the port of Mombasa and the Northern Transport Corridor in Kenya; and spurring regional integration between Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia, through infrastructure development and trade. Despite its strategic importance, the initiative has encountered persistent obstacles, including; inadequate institutional coordination, limited regional inclusivity, and uneven implementation across participating states. From the lenses of regionalism, the LAPSSET infrastructural initiative was conceptualized as a narrow plan, aimed at integrating only the tripartite states of Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, as opposed to a multifaceted approach for integrating the greater Horn of Africa - a geostrategic region plagued with infrastructure deficits, violent conflicts, humanitarian crises, economic shocks and instabilities. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of the LAPSSET infrastructural initiative on economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region. The general objective was to investigate the effect of LAPSSET infrastructural initiative on economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region. Specifically, the study sought: (i) to evaluate the effect of the conceptual design of the LAPSSET infrastructural initiative on economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region; (ii) to examine the effect of the economic security imperatives of the LAPSSET infrastructural initiative on economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region; and (iii) to assess the effect of the regional coordination mechanism of the LAPSSET infrastructural initiative on economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region. The study was anchored on the theories of regionalism and complex interdependence. A descriptive research design was adopted. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using the semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered to 15 LAPSSET stakeholder institutions in Kenya. Qualitative data was targeted from selected border community representatives in Moyale and Lodwar sub-counties, as well as from key informants from the Ethiopian and South Sudan Embassies in Kenya, using moderated focus group discussions and open-ended key informants interview schedules, respectively. Additional key informants were also targeted through the LAPSSET cooperating facility in Kenya. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with multiple regression analysis used to determine relationships among variables. The findings revealed that all three components significantly influence economic security stabilization. The regional coordination mechanism had the strongest positive effect (B = 0.476, p < 0.001), followed by conceptual design (B = 0.412, p < 0.001) and economic security imperatives (B = 0.363, p < 0.001). However, the results also indicated persistent weaknesses in institutional coordination, implementation capacity, and regional policy alignment. This study concluded that, while the LAPSSET has considerable potentials for bolstering economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa, its effectiveness is constrained by governance and coordination shortcomings. Therefore, refining the conceptual design of the LAPSSET, improving institutional integration, and strengthening of regional coordination frameworks, are critical for maximizing the initiatives stabilizing impact.
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Ogal, B. J. (2026). LAPSSET infrastructural initiative and economic security stabilization in the Horn of Africa region [Master’s thesis, Riara University].