Ruto: State investing over Sh10 billion in Coast blue economy projects

President William Ruto speaking in Ganze, Kilifi on May 24, 2026 / PCS

President William Ruto has said that the government is investing more than Sh10 billion in various blue economy projects at the Coast in a bid to boost fishing and improve livelihoods for thousands of families in the region.

The projects include five major fish landing sites along the Kenyan coast being constructed at Sh840 million, three fish markets worth Sh350 million, and 272 modern fishing boats distributed to fishermen across the region.

The investments also include the Sh1.5 billion fish hatchery and the Sh2 billion Shimoni Fish Port, both located in Kwale County.

Ruto said the projects are part of deliberate efforts by the government to strengthen the economic backbone of coastal communities that depend on fishing and maritime activities.

“We are doing all these because that is the only way to transform our country,” the President said.

He spoke on Sunday during a thanksgiving service for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs at Mnagoni Primary School grounds in Bamba, Ganze Constituency, Kilifi County.

Among leaders present were Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho, Salim Mvurya and Opiyo Wandayi, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Governors Gideon Mung'aro, Abdulswamad Nassir and Andrew Mwadime, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and National Assembly Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya.

At the same time, President Ruto announced that the government is investing more than Sh25 billion in transformative projects under the Affordable Housing Programme in Kilifi County.

According to the President, Sh18 billion has been allocated for affordable housing units across the county, while Sh1.2 billion will go toward the construction of 10 modern markets.

The President further said more than Sh2 billion has been set aside for hostels in universities, technical and vocational education and training institutions, and Kenya Medical Training College centres.

“In yesteryears, such kind of investment was only dreamt of. But we are making it a reality now,” he said.

President Ruto commended PS Fikirini for his performance in government, saying he had demonstrated that young people can effectively deliver when entrusted with leadership responsibilities.

He particularly praised the Principal Secretary for his role in rolling out the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, which seeks to empower young people with financial support to start or expand businesses.

“I am very proud of the record of this young man as a Principal Secretary and a servant of the government and people of Kenya,” the President said.

On electricity connectivity, the President said the government is investing Sh2.2 billion to connect 20,000 households to electricity in Kilifi County.

He added that completion of the Malindi-Weru-Kilifi and Rabai-Bomani-Kilifi transmission lines would stabilise electricity supply in the region and spur economic growth.

The President also urged parents, chiefs and village elders to ensure all children attend school, describing education as the greatest equaliser in society.

“I call on parents, chiefs and village elders to make sure that, for whatever reason, no child remains at home when schools are in session,” he said.

Ruto noted that his administration had hired 100,000 teachers in three years to address teacher shortages across the country.

In Kilifi County alone, he said, 2,860 teachers had been recruited in the last three years compared to only 700 employed between 2017 and 2022.

On healthcare, the President said the government had disbursed Sh1.4 billion to hospitals in Kilifi County over the past one-and-a-half years through the Social Health Authority programme.

“Consequently, the county government now has resources to expand and equip local health facilities under them,” he said.

The President also said the government was making progress in resolving the long-standing issue of absentee landlords at the Coast.

Of the 1.5 million title deeds issued nationally in the past three years, he said 381,000 had been issued to residents in the Coast region.

Another 200,000 families are expected to receive title deeds within the next 90 days upon completion of ongoing land adjudication exercises.

“Citizens must live with certainty; they must plan with certainty knowing that this is their land. If they continue being squatters, they cannot invest,” he said.

Ruto announced that the government had secured Sh315 million to fence 140 kilometres of Tsavo National Park bordering villages in Ganze affected by human-wildlife conflict.

He also directed the immediate deregistration of the Shirango Conservancy, saying it had been illegally registered without the consent of local residents, and ordered that the land be returned to the community.