The government has secured Sh1.45 billion to construct fish landing sites at Lake Victoria.
The project will be funded by the International Food and Agriculture Development (Ifad) and will be channelled through the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP).
The money will be used to build 10 fish landing sites in Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Homa Bay and Busia counties.
The sites will be in Ogal (Kisumu), Asat (Kisumu), Nyandhiwa (Homa Bay), Nyakula (Homa Bay), Mainuga (Homa Bay), Got Kochola (Migori) , Sori (Migori), Gumbe (Busia), Wichlum (Siaya) and Asembo (Siaya).
Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs CS Salim Mvurya said a technical team is assessing the sites.
He said the team will work closely with county governments to ensure all the requirements are met.
Mvurya said once completed, the landing sites will act as aggregation centres where fisherfolk will have enough cold storage facilities to keep their catch as they scout for markets.
"I want you to know that the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries has signed an agreement with Ifad and the technical team is already on the ground to assess the sites," he said.
CS Mvurya said they are looking at fisheries as an investment and moving away from the traditional way of fishing, where fishermen sell their catch immediately to earn a living.
"We want our fishermen and farmers to delay selling their catch, so they have enough time to get the right price," he said.
Mvurya said the byproducts from the fish will be stored at the landing sites and used to feed light and small industries to spur economic growth at the grassroots.
The CS spoke in Kisumu on Thursday during a consultative meeting on the proposed ABDP projects in Lake Victoria.
The government is also forming cooperatives for beach management units to enable fishermen sell their catch as one unit to fetch good prices, Mvurya said.
The CS said the government has set aside Sh400 million to support the establishment of fish cages in Lake Victoria to boost production.
He said the government is on course to revive the fisheries sector in Lake Victoria, Indian Ocean and other inland water bodies.
The government has spent Sh50 million to procure six boats to boost security in lakes Victoria, Naivasha and Turkana, Mvurya said,
Ifad country director Mariatu Kamara said they will continue to partner with the government to scale up investments in fisheries and blue economy.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili, Migori Deputy Governor Joseph Mahiri and Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera were present.
Others present were MPs Roza Buyu (Kisumu West), Raphael Wanjala (Budalang'i), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North ), Tom Odege (Nyatike) and Ojiambo Oundo (Funyula ).
