Sh1.3 billion project to transform Lake Victoria’s blue economy

Chris Mahandara-KNA

The Government is committed to revitalizing Lake Victoria’s blue economy through infrastructure projects, including the ongoing construction of the Sh1.3 billion Kabonyo-Kanyagwal Aquaculture Center in Kisumu County.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the Kabonyo Kanyagwal project in Kisumu, the Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki described the project as a cornerstone of Kenya’s blue economy transformation agenda.

He called it a “game changer” that will boost fish production, support sustainable fishing practices, and create thousands of jobs across the lakeside region.

The Deputy President noted that the facility, which is currently 15 per cent complete, will produce 28 million fingerlings annually.

Additionally, it will serve as a specialized training hub for farmers and other stakeholders in the sector, thus driving the broader blue economy agenda.

The fish species bred at the modern facility, he said, will be supplied to farmers and used to restock Lake Victoria, which has seen a significant drop in production.

Once completed, the aquaculture center is expected to significantly support thousands of small-scale fish farmers, complementing other government-driven blue economy initiatives aimed at enhancing food security and boosting income for fishing communities around the lake, he said.

In a bid to modernize the fisheries sector, Prof Kindiki also highlighted the ongoing construction of nine new fish landing sites across Migori, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Busia counties.

The sites which include three in Siaya, two in Homa Bay, two in Kisumu, one in Busia, and one in Migori will be equipped with cold storage facilities and value addition infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and improve earnings for fishermen.

Prof Kindiki pointed out that the first phase of the initiative, which included landing sites at Mulukoba (Busia), Luanda K'otieno (Siaya), and Sori (Migori), had already been completed and handed over to local communities.

To ensure sustainable harvesting of aquatic resources, Prof Kindiki stated that the government is working closely with Beach Management Units (BMUs) and has already released Sh124 million to assist them to acquire modern fishing gear.

He added that additional allocations will be made this year to further equip BMUs with the necessary tools to venture into deep-sea fishing.

The projects, he said, are in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) with thousands of job opportunities set to be created.

"These projects will create long term jobs for our people. Already many people are working here as plumbers, artisans, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and several other short time jobs have also been created," he said.