This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
On May 13, 2020, the Lake Victoria Region was on the cusp of a significant transformation as the Government of Uhuru Kenyatta and the Presidents of the East African community were on the verge of ratifying a pact to revitalize marine transportation on the lake.
The initiative, which has been in the works for some time, aims to increase the movement of goods and services through Lake Victoria, commonly referred to as marine transportation.
Former Premier Raila Odinga, who also serves as the African Union envoy on infrastructure, recently met with a delegation from Uganda, who praised the initiative and expressed their support for the project.
During the meeting, the Ugandan delegation was accompanied by a French firm, Mengo Tree Group, which showcased their state-of-the-art ship that will be used for dredging and removing the hyacinth that has choked the lake for years.
The French firm promised to provide a 10-year warranty on their services and will station two ships at the lakeside for a couple of months to ensure that the work is done to their best ability.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been instrumental in the initiative, supervising the works at the lake side on multiple occasions and has instructed the Kenya Ports Authority and the Ministry of Transport to speed up the renovation and revamping of Kisumu Pier in readiness for the launch of the marine transportation in a few months' time.
The National Government has pumped almost Kshs. 2 billion into the project, while the World Bank is contributing almost Kshs. 3 billion to the same project, which will forever change the economic status of the Lake Region.
The County Government of Kisumu, under the guidance of Professor Nyong'o, has undertaken massive restructuring procedures in the lakeside city, demolishing unworthy structures along the roads and erecting modern structures to be used by small businesses.
The Kenya Railway Corporation has elaborate plans to renovate the old railroad in readiness to move goods from the Port of Mombasa to Kisumu and then shipped to the ports in Tanzania and Uganda, which will cut transportation costs across the region and beyond.
