INDOI Ltd., Blue Trade Investments, and Partners Launch the LuLu Cable System at ITW Africa 2026
The East African submarine cable landscape reached a historic milestone today with the announcement of the LuLu Cable System at ITW Africa 2026. As the Kenyan coast’s first fully protected coastal network, the system is designed to strengthen connectivity along a 500km stretch of the Indian Ocean, linking five strategic landing points from Mombasa to Lamu, including Vipingo SEZ, Kilifi, and Malindi.
This ambitious project is an integrated system combining a submarine cable running along the seabed with a parallel, protected terrestrial pathway. It is engineered to deliver the highest levels of resilience, redundancy, and availability required by mission-critical industries, governments, and international operators.
The LuLu Cable System is co-developed by INDOI Ltd., a Mauritius-headquartered ICT infrastructure developer; Blue Trade Investments Limited; ARISE IIP, the developer of Kenya’s $3 billion Vipingo Special Economic Zone (VSEZ); AfriTrade Consulting Group; and Kingdom Bank.
Using advanced DWDM technology, the system features a design capacity of up to 60 Tbps per fibre pair. It is designed for a 25-year operational life, features centralized network management, and is expected to be ready for service in Q2 2028.
Transforming Kenya’s Coastal Economy
Arunachalam Kandasamy, Founder and CEO of INDOI Ltd., emphasized the urgency of the project: “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 and commercially compelling stretches of coastline on the planet. And yet, until today, it has never had a single, unified, fully protected digital infrastructure system designed specifically for it. LuLu changes that. Permanently.”
The powerful coalition backing the LuLu Cable System brings together infrastructure expertise, financial capability, and regulatory depth. On the ground, Blue Trade serves as INDOI’s Kenya-registered partner and the designated cable landing party, utilizing its established relationships with local regulators and communities to ensure smooth operational delivery.
Unlocking New Investment at Vipingo SEZ
The system’s landing at Vipingo SEZ acts as a catalyst for broader economic transformation. Direct submarine cable connectivity unlocks new categories of tech-driven investments that standard manufacturing hubs cannot attract alone, such as hyperscale data centers, cloud service provider nodes, cybersecurity operations centers, and fintech platforms.
George Olaka, Country Head of ARISE IIP Kenya, noted that Vipingo SEZ was built to merge industry, logistics, and digital frameworks. “The LuLu Cable System adds an important dimension to that vision. Direct, resilient submarine cable connectivity strengthens VSEZ’s ability to attract not only manufacturers but also the digital businesses that increasingly sit at the center of modern industry.”
Supported by the legal and regulatory structuring of AfriTrade Consulting Group and financial backing from Kingdom Bank, the LuLu Cable System effectively bridges the gap between a traditional industrial zone and a modern digital city. It positions Kenya’s coastline as one of the most compelling investment destinations on the African continent, seamlessly connecting local operators to the global internet backbone from day one.
