The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has unveiled a refurbished ship that it revived at a cost of Ksh250 million in the lakeside city of Kisumu.
A video shared by KDF on Sunday, January 10, showed the ship, MV Uhuru, cruising on Lake Victoria after being stagnant for over 13 years.
The vessel, which is under the management of Kenya Railways Services, received the facelift in 2019 after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered KDF to intervene.
The ship, which weighs 1,650 tonnes, spots a white exterior emblazoned with the Kenya Railways logo.
Kisumu's Kenya Marine Operations Manager Michael Mwalimu noted that the ship contains two engines and had stalled for a while before Kenya Railways services were conceded to another party.
"Mv Uhuru is a big ship that has 1,650 tonnes and has two engines. It has been in operation all this time till a certain duration when we had conceded Railway Services to a concessionaire.
"The concessionaire was not impressed by the ship and its operations declined. The ship was packed here in Kisumu for a period of between 8 and 10 years. Recently, the organisation found it important that the ship is revived," stated Mwalimu.
He further noted that the organisation sought a consultant but they were informed that the ship could only be repaired at a cost of Ksh1.5 billion, a figure they deemed too high.
"Kenya Railways opted to consult further and the government directed the navy to assist. They came on board, inspected the ship and advised that the ship was economical.
"They were given the mandate to partner with Kenya Railways to revive the ship. It took between May and November and the ship was brought back to operations," he added.
The engine and the navigational aids were among the parts of the ships that underwent reconstruction.
Mwalimu further noted that since it was revived, it has created employment by raising the workforce.
The ship began operations in June 2019 after Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga visited the Kisumu Port the same year.
The vessel made trips to Unaga and Tanzania ports and is reportedly capable of making revenue of Ksh4 million per single trip.
Below is the video of the ship:
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