KPA Invests KSh 1.3 billion in Building Modern Fish Port at Kwale County

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has plans to construct a 1.3 billion modern fishing facility in Shimoni, Kwale County.

“Designs are finished and we will soon embark on construction,” KPA Chairman Joseph Kibwana said.

Kibwana also said that the port will include a multi-purpose anchorage that will incorporate fish and conventional cargo handling, cold storage facilities, reefer stations, and value addition including fish processing plants.

In October last year, the Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the project started involving the local leadership and locals. The main objective of the ESIA is to assess the value of the benefits of the project against environmental and social concerns.

They will also provide measures to avoid and reduce the magnitude of the impacts.

“To protect the environment against the negative impacts of the project, a raft of measures has been recommended and will be applied to ensure smooth implementation of the project whilst minimizing environmental degradation,” KPA has noted.

The government has been having plans to maximize fishing from the Indian Ocean and this project is expected to play a critical role in the plans.

According to Shipping and Maritime affairs Principal Secretary Nancy Karigithu,  the maritime sector has the potential to contribute up to Sh500 billion to the GDP annually.

Shimoni Port will help tap into the vast fishing industry which according to the government, the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has an annual potential of 350,000 metric tonnes.

It is however yielding a paltry 9,134 metric tones worth Sh2.4billion.

This low yield has made Kenya import fish from Kenya and that is what the government is looking to reduce by building and developing fishing ports.

By Joy Ngoiri