Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced that the government is planning to purchase deep-sea fishing boats worth over Ksh600 million.
Speaking in Mombasa, Kindiki stated that the boats will bolster fishing in the region by providing fishermen with well-equipped boats that will have them stay in the deep ocean for over a week.
"This year, we will be buying deep-sea fishing boats worth more than Ksh600 million that will be given to fishermen so that they can go into the ocean for seven to ten days with about seven to ten people, and they can come back with big fish to sell for money," Kindiki stated.
Kindiki was touring the Ksh1.4 billion Shimoni Marine Research and Conservation Centre project, which he said was nearing completion.
Besides being used as a transportation port for both people and cargo, Kindiki noted that it will also be used as a training centre for those interested in marine life.
Once completed, it will attract students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The students will research and train in sailing, water transport, port management, and marine science, among others. This is expected to bolster the economy of the coastal region.
Furthermore, Kindiki revealed that Ksh3.2 billion has already been disbursed to fishermen in the region.
"This will bring a lot of benefits to citizens who live near the ocean, and this is one of the projects that the Kenya Kwanza government has brought here to ensure that our young people get the skills to go into the ocean and work as coxswains or engineers in ships or ports," Kindiki stated.
"We have several other projects in Kwale County, Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu and Tana River. We are building fish landing sites where fishermen can anchor on ports with their fish."
According to the former Interior CS, a Ksh2.6 billion Shimoni Fishing Port project in Kwale County was also expected to begin operations in March 2025.
It will include a modern jetty, fish landing and processing facilities, meat plants, cold storage units, and an ice-making factory.
