Post-harvest losses will be a thing of the past in Lake Naivasha after the government announced plans to construct a Sh100 million fish processing plant.
The facility, which will be constructed near the KWS Annex, will offer cold storage and landing bay targeting tourists visiting the fresh water lake.
This came as the Ministry of Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs donated a Sh50 million patrol boat to the Department of Fisheries to assist in patrols around the troubled water body.
The Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the lake has the high potential in fish production. He said the ministry is keen on tapping into the sector by empowering fishermen.
Mvurya identified Lakes Naivasha, Baringo, Turkana, Victoria and India Ocean as some of the water bodies that could change the face of fisheries in the country.
Addressing the fisherfolk at Kamere landing beach in Naivasha, he said that the government plans to stop the importation of fish from China.
He said the government was working on a Sh1 billion fingerlings production facility in Kisumu, which has the capacity of producing 700,000 fingerlings every year.
“We want to change this narrative of importing fish from foreign countries and, instead, export because the country has a major potential.”
During the meeting, the CS challenged beach management units to form co-operatives to make it easier for them to get funding.
“The government, through the maritime officers, will train all coxswains in this lake free of charge as part of improving their safety and that of the visitors,” he said.
The fisherfolk representative Grace Nyambura lauded the government for donating the patrol boat. She said it would go a long way in dealing with illegal fishing.
Nyambura, who chairs the patrol team, called for more security officers. She said that the only solution in reducing pressure in the fisheries sector lay in aquaculture farming.
Kamere landing beach chairman Daniel Onyango said that the lake had many challenges which could be addressed by the ministry.
