This archive report was first published on 7 July 2019.
On July 6, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta made a quiet inspection of the Kisumu port, where Sh3 billion renovation works are underway to revive maritime trade. The visit, declared private and the media barred from covering, came just two days after Opposition leader and African Union Infrastructure development envoy Raila Odinga toured the facility.
The President landed in Kisumu after a two-day visit to Tanzania and made an extensive tour of the port accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha and his Transport counterpart James Macharia among other government officials. The renovation works, which have been ongoing since May, include the overhaul of old rusted boat deployers, the dilapidated and poorly equipped workshops, and the disused dry dock.
Other planned changes include the installation of container cranes to boost loading and offloading of cargo. The renovation of the port is expected to make it competitive in the region, with envisioned jumps in activity following similar projects in Uganda and Tanzania.
During the inspection, the President proceeded for a short trip on the lake aboard MV Uhuru's small old rusty tugboat. The tugboat is a small but powerful recovery vessel used in the rescue of the larger 300-foot ferry. With one of Kenya's finest pilots on the wheel, the President, his aide, and security as well as technicians overseeing the renovation boarded the boat and made a trip about 150 meters onto the waters.
He then inspected MV Uhuru, which roared to life a week ago, before examining the port's dry dock workshop, where the boat deployers are undergoing a makeover. The President concluded his tour with a stopover at the marine school, where CS Magoha had earlier on visited.
The World Bank-funded school, put up at a cost of Sh80 million, is expected to produce personnel who can drive the revival of the port into a busy trade and transport corridor. Across the region, the school is expected to be a lifeline for the port, which has remained under-utilised for nearly 10 years for lack of qualified personnel.
