Ambivalent temporalities of mega-infrastructures in Lamu, Kenya

Mega-infrastructure projects, once central to state development strategies and local contestations, often recede into the background of everyday life as their initial goals falter. A study on Lamu Port, Kenya, reveals that such projects can become overshadowed by shifting political dynamics, leadership changes, and societal adaptations, rather than achieving their anticipated transformative impact. Fishermen displaced by the port's construction adapt precariously to new material conditions, while some actors begin to question whether the project will ever materialize, viewing its lack of progress as more threatening than the infrastructure itself. The research underscores the analytical value of studying infrastructure over time, highlighting how ambivalent temporalities demonstrate that once-spectacular or disruptive projects gradually become nebulous nodes within complex state-society relations and contestations.

Lesutis, G. (2025). Ambivalent temporalities of mega-infrastructures in Lamu, Kenya. Geoforum, 159, 104199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2024.104199