Construction of the Sh2.6bn modern fishing harbour at Shimoni Port in Kwale is complete and only awaits official handing over by the contractor, Kenya Ports Authority has announced.
Development of the industrial fishing port project commenced in April 2023 with Southern Engineering Company (SECO), the developer of the Kisumu Oil Jetty, as the main contractor.
The multi-purpose berth is part of a wider Sh20 billion port project which also incorporates fish and conventional cargo handling, cold storage facilities, reefer stations, a power sub-station, ice-making plant, a bio-digester, wastewater management system and a fish processing plant for value addition.
“The modern port dedicated solely to fish production, processing and value addition will transform the local economy, increasing opportunities for the exportation of the finished products to the region as well as local consumption,” KPA managing director William Ruto said.
Key infrastructure under the project includes a jetty measuring 75-meter by 30-meter and a 135-meter causeway capable of berthing two fishing vessels simultaneously.
Shimoni Fish Port is poised to transform the region’s fishing industry by improving efficiency, reducing post-harvest losses and creating new economic opportunities. KPA had set a two-year timeline for its completion.
The project is part of the government’s plans to maximise benefits from the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Indian Ocean, under the blue economy agenda, where fishing has a huge potential.
According to the government, the maritime sector has the potential to contribute up to Sh500 billion to the GDP annually.
The country has 370 kilometers from the shore into the Indian Ocean, 600 kilometers of coastal length and about 10,700 square kilometers of navigable inland waters.
Total water surface is estimated at 240,700 square kilometers of the country’s total area of 580,367 square kilometers (42%)–equivalent to the total land surface area of 31 out of the country's 47 counties.
While the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone has an annual potential of 350,000 metric tonnes, it has been yielding a paltry 9,134 metric tonnes worth about Sh2.4billion, official data shows.
Shimoni has potential to handle about 40,000 metric tonnes according to KPA.
Overall, Kenya produces 180,000 tonnes of fish per year, Agriculture ministry data shows, including from its inland water sources, against a consumption demand of about 500,000 tonnes.This has seen the country import fish with China being a key source.
Poor fishing facilities and gears have been blamed for hindering local fishermen from fully reaching their potential.
To address this, the government has been implementing about Sh10 billion worth of blue economy projects in the coastal counties of Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu to boost earnings from the sector.
The projects funded by the World Bank have several components including alternative livelihoods for fishermen, whereby groups are recognised and given funds to do projects away from fisheries.
The funds were given in the form of grants under the Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development Project (KEMFSED).
Government has also been keen to have about 445 beach management units in the country transformed into cooperative societies, to enable fishermen to access financial support. This is both in the Indian Ocean and inland waters, with Lake Victoria also an area of interest.
