Following President William Ruto’s directive to have Shimoni Fishing Port's construction expedited, the Kenya Ports Authority(KPA) and an intergovernmental team visited the site to assess the progress of the project.
Shimoni Port which is located in Kwale County, is the first fishing port in the country and is poised to boost Kenya’s blue economy significantly.
The port whose construction is expected to cost Ksh20 billion, is already 38 per cent done according to a statement from KPA.
The facility’s construction was expected to begin in 2017 during former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reign but only started this year, with the first phase of the project being rolled out.
“The fish port will boost the fish industry in the country & enhance value addition, through processing for local & exports market,” KPA’s statement read in parts.
So far, Ksh2.5 billion has been set aside for the industrial fishing port with more funds slated to be injected into the project as it progresses.
Upon completion, Shimoni port will boast a modern jetty of 75 metres by 30 meters with a causeway of 135 metres long and 7 metres wide, a warehouse for a fish processing plant, cold storage and ice making plant.
It will also house a market hall, a water storage tank, a goods warehouse to serve the public, a biodigester & a wastewater management plant.
Further, the port is projected to have an output capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes.
Initially, phase one of the project was to be completed in two years, that is by 2025. However, in July of this year, President Ruto directed KPA to cut the completion time by one year.
"I want the KPA chairman Benjamin Tayari to make sure the fish port is completed by June 2024 and I will come here to open it," the President said during his tour of Kwale County in July.
The head of state emphasized that his main goal was to improve the production capacity of Kenya’s blue economy from Ksh15 billion to Ksh100 billion.
