KISUMU, Kenya May 29 – President William Ruto has announced a Sh1.5 billion government plan to establish three additional landing beaches along the Lake Victoria region to unlock the blue economy and drive economic transformation in Nyanza.
Speaking in Kisumu on Thursday at the start of his tour ahead of Madaraka Day celebrations in Homa Bay on Sunday, Ruto said Lake Victoria holds immense potential to improve the country’s economy and address food insecurity through sustainable fishing.
“We must ensure this lake is beneficial to all Kenyans by all means,” he said, assuring fisherfolk that his government is committed to modernising infrastructure and protecting the lake’s resources.
He added that the ongoing blue economy conference at Tom Mboya University is a step in the right direction toward harnessing the lake’s full potential.
“We want to use the blue economy to unlock the economic potential of this area using the resources of Lake Victoria,” he said.
His remarks came a day after Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Ali Hassan Joho affirmed the landing sites would help reduce post-harvest losses and improve livelihoods.
Speaking in Homa Bay where he launched the Achich Beach Management Unit, Joho said the Ministry had contracted the Kenya Shipyard to build rescue boats to enhance safety for fishermen.
“I want to assure you that the government will develop this region. It is not like in the past when this region was anti-government,” Joho said, adding that the concerns of the fishing community would be addressed under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
President Ruto was accompanied by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with whom he later commissioned the construction of 750 affordable housing units worth Sh3.5 billion in Kisumu. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months.
He also handed over keys to beneficiaries of completed units at the Makasembo LAPFUND housing estate in the city.
