Lamu county has partnered with the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture programme to revive the Faza ice plant at a cost of Sh9.8 million.
The move is set to benefit over 2,000 fisherfolk in the island and surrounding areas in Lamu East.
The plant is a major boost to fishermen in the region who will now enjoy daily access to flaked ice to enable them preserve their fish longer.
Fishermen in Lamu East have for decades suffered huge losses related to the lack of preservation mechanisms and facilities.
The Sh9.8 million was awarded to the Rasini Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited through KCSAP's window III programme, which provides enterprise development matching grants for supporting producer organisations like farmers and fishermen cooperatives.
Over the weekend, Fisheries chief officer Abdul Fatah led a delegation of officials on a technical inspection tour of the Faza facility in the company of KCSAP county coordinator Steven Mbuvi.
Fatah said they have invited a mechanical and refrigeration expert from the Ministry of Public Works to provide technical advice on how to efficiently operationalise the ice plant.
“The engineer has recommended that the ice plant at Rasini be installed with two flake ice generating machines, each with a capacity of two tonnes of flake ice per day,"Fatah said.
"This will be an integrated cold room capable of holding fish at -20°C. The engineer is now working on a bill of quantities for the project.”
Fatah revealed that the neighbouring Kizingitini ice plant was currently undergoing a comprehensive makeover to increase its capacity as part of the Covid-19 recovery fisheries plan with the works already 95 per cent complete.
Fatah said the two cold chain projects are part of the larger plan by the county government to spur the fisheries sector in Lamu East in 20 target fisher villages.
The villages include Ishakani, Kiunga, Mwambore, Rubu, Mkokoni, Chandani, Kiwayu, Ndau, Faza, Kizingitini, Mbwajumwali, Chundwa, Siyu, Pate, Mtangawanda, Myabogi, Faza, Shanga-Rubu, Shanga-Ishakani, Mvundeni among others.
“The county administration will soon resume distribution of fishing equipment and gear throughout the county to boost fish output,"he said.
"They will include fishing lines, gill nets, flippers, eco-sounders or fish finders, GPS, deep freezers, cooler boxes, among other items.”
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)
