President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday unveiled the Shs 10 billion Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development Project along the Kenyan coast.
Speaking at the project's launch, Kenyatta said the project is part of the Government's post-Covid-19 recovery efforts adding that the initiative, to be rolled in 5 years, will lead to sustainable utilization of Kenya's marine fisheries resources.
“When successfully completed we expect this project to contribute to sustainable exploitation of Kenya’s marine fisheries. This represents a new dawn in the development of the coastal region; and it is a key pillar in my administration’s job and wealth creation agenda.
“Building the capacity of our fishers to world standards is an essential part of this effort. The enhanced management framework, under the Oceans and Blue Economy Office should ensure that fishing vessels licensed to operate in our waters provide job and training opportunities for our fishers and young people,” the President stated.
The World Bank-supported project seeks to create over 60,000 new jobs in the fishing sector over the next decade and will benefit 19 sub-counties in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu Counties.
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Coast Governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River) and Fahim Twaha (Lamu) hailed the project as a new frontier in improving the livelihoods of fishing communities and spurring growth of related industries in the region.
Photos of the event:
