At least 100 fisher households on the Kenya-Somalia border villages have receive a Sh5 million grant in a move aimed at spurring food and income security for the fisher groups in the region.
A total of 100 households from Kiunga ward in Lamu East benefitted from the grant which came in form of micro investment materials.
This is part of the county government of Lamu’s strategy to eliminate poverty, create resilience and enable communities have disposable incomes.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy while presiding over the event said the county had partnered with the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Program to achieve the feat.
Among the micro investments were fiber boats and outboard engines which were distributed to five fisher groups in Kiunga ward.
Beneficiary groups include the Paradiso Community Group, Amani Women Group, Tawakul Kiunga Youth Group, Tawakal Ishakani Self-help Group and the Takwim Youth Group.
This comes just days after yet another batch of Lamu community groups received a Sh50 million funding to leverage Blue Economy exploration opportunities in the region.
A total of 28 community common interest groups across Lamu benefitted from Sh50 million in the first-round of grants launched in the county last week.
The cash is part of the Sh10 billion funding by the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development project implemented by the Government of Kenya, through the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries with support from World Bank.
The cash is aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of coastal communities as part of the country’s efforts to leverage emerging opportunities in the Blue Economy.
The Sh10 billion worth of project is carried out within a duration of five years, that is, between 2020 and 2025.
KEMFSED is implemented jointly with five participating counties of Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River, Kwale and Lamu.
Among the key objectives of KEMFSED in issuing such grants is to ensure there is improved management of priority fisheries and Mari-culture and generally, to increase access to complementary livelihood activities in coastal communities.
-Edited by SKanyara
