The government has issued an update on ongoing efforts to revive the fisheries sector around Lake Victoria through an aquaculture project expected to significantly boost fish production.
In a statement on Friday, June 5, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the project forms part of government interventions targeting economic transformation in lakefront communities.
"For decades, the Lake Victoria region suffered years of neglect, dwindling fish stocks, weak market systems and collapsing incomes that pushed many fisherfolk into economic hardship," the statement read.
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Omollo said the government was now prioritizing investments under the Blue Economy agenda to restore economic activity and create new opportunities for communities dependent on fishing.
"The Government, under the leadership of President William Ruto, is reviving the lakefront economy through strategic Blue Economy investments aimed at restoring livelihoods, expanding trade and repositioning the region as a major driver of western Kenya's economic growth," he added.
According to Omollo, one of the flagship projects driving these efforts is the Kabonyo Kanyagwal Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Training Centre of Excellence located in Kadibo Sub-County, Kisumu County.
"One of the key projects spearheading this transformation is the Kabonyo Kanyagwal Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Training Centre of Excellence in Kadibo Sub-County, Kisumu County," he further said.
According to the PS, situated on 25 acres, the facility is being developed as a modern aquaculture hub designed to increase fish production capacity, strengthen fisheries training and support commercial cold-chain markets across the Lake Region.
The centre will include a large hatchery equipped with 20 specialized fish ponds, administrative offices, trainee dormitories, staff housing and a modern flood-control canal designed to manage backflow from Lake Victoria and River Nyando overflows.
Omollo said the facility is expected to play a major role in rebuilding fish stocks and supporting aquaculture activities across multiple counties.
"It is expected to produce about 28 million fingerlings annually to restock Lake Victoria, support cage fish farming and supply affordable fish feeds and aquaculture inputs to farmers across Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori and Busia counties," the statement concluded.
This comes a day after Omollo issued an update on the Muhuru Bay Port Project in Migori County, announcing that the development is nearing completion.
In an update on Thursday, June 4, Omollo said the Muhuru Bay shoreline had for many years failed to realise its economic potential despite its strategic location on Lake Victoria.
"For decades, the Muhuru Bay shoreline, despite its strategic position on Lake Victoria and vast untapped potential, remained largely neglected and its promise to drive trade, fisheries and regional connectivity lying dormant," he said.
Omollo noted that the ongoing development is being undertaken by the Kenya Ports Authority as part of efforts to advance Kenya’s Blue Economy agenda and spur economic growth in the region.
"Under the stewardship of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), the Muhuru Bay Pier Development and Rehabilitation Project is transforming this historic site into a modern lake port, aligned with the country's Blue Economy agenda and poised to unlock socio-economic growth across Nyatike and the wider Migori County," he added.
According to Omollo, the project has reached its final structural phase, with only a few finishing activities remaining.
"The project is now in its final structural phase, with walling works at 98% completion and ongoing revetment works involving the systematic placement and compaction of armour rock boulders along a 200-metre stretch to form the pier head and protect against wave action," he further said.
Key components of the project include the construction of a reinforced concrete jetty measuring 50 by 30 metres to accommodate larger vessels, a cold storage facility aimed at improving fish preservation, perimeter security infrastructure and an administrative block that will house port and customs operations.
The government expects the upgraded facility to strengthen regional trade and improve market access for local fishermen once completed.
"Once complete, the facility will strengthen trade integration by complementing the Masara-Muhuru Bay road upgrade, enhance fisheries value chains by reducing post-harvest losses and eliminating exploitative intermediaries and establish a vital maritime linkage connecting emerging lake ports such as Homa Bay, Sori and Kisumu," Omollo said.
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