This archive report was first published on 27 June 2021.
On June 27, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled the Ksh10 billion Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development Project, a Government initiative aimed at uplifting the income of fishing communities along the Kenyan coast.
The project, supported by the World Bank, seeks to create over 60,000 new jobs in the fishing sector over the next decade and will benefit 19 sub-counties in Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu Counties.
Speaking at the project's launch, President Kenyatta emphasized the need to commercialize the country's enormous marine resources for the benefit of Kenyans. He stated that the project is part of the Government's post-Covid-19 recovery efforts and will lead to sustainable utilization of Kenya's marine fisheries resources.
"When successfully completed, we expect this project to contribute to sustainable exploitation of Kenya's marine fisheries. This represents a new dawn in the development of the coastal region; and it is a key pillar in my administration's job and wealth creation agenda," the President said.
Alongside the livelihoods project, the President outlined several other interventions the Government is implementing to expand opportunities for employment and wealth creation in the emerging blue economy sector.
Coast Governors, including Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River), and Fahim Twaha (Lamu), hailed the project as a new frontier in improving the livelihoods of fishing communities and spurring growth of related industries in the region.
