Top Coast leaders welcome investors

The Coast governors are targeting Sh200 billion of investment on fishing, farming and hospitality in the region’s 1,500 kilometre coastline.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Mombasa’s Hassan Joho, Salim Mvurya of Kwale, Fahim Twaha of Lamu and Tana River’s Godana Dadho said the fishing industry alone could produce up to Sh26 billion if local and international investors ventured into it.

Speaking at the first Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) yesterday, the governors said the region was losing a lot of money because of underdevelopment in the blue economy.

To work

The governors said they had agreed to work under the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) to harness the billions of resources towards bettering the lives of about eight million people.

Kingi said the Coast region had huge untapped potential that could turn around the economy of its people.

"We have potential that runs into hundreds of billions. We want to harness it now for the nearly eight million people in the region. We have been talking with tens of investors and a number of them have already shown interest," said Kingi.

Fish port

He noted that his county was about to construct a fish port to fully-exploit commercial fishery.

Joho said through the close working relationship with the six coastal counties, the region had the potential to become an economic giant.

The Tana River governor said fishermen were still using archaic methods and technology to fish, thus limiting their catch.

Mr Mvurya called for increased investment in mining, noting that the region was rich in minerals.