New Sh2.6b Kwale fish port lies idle as KPA hunts for operator

H.E Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during an inspection tour of ongoing works at the Shimoni Fish Port in Kwale county accompanied by Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Ali Hassan Joho. [Courtesy] Fisherfolk and traders will have to wait up to six months to use the recently completed Sh2.6 billion Shimoni Fish Port in Kwale's Lunga Lunga Sub-County. This is as the government seeks a private entity to operate the facility, which was handed over to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) last week by Mombasa-based Southern Engineering Company (Seco). KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto said KPA would advertise an international tender for the facility operator, with the tender winner expected to be announced in the next six months. This means the facility will not be immediately available for use until the process is completed. "We are going to advertise an international tender to attract local and international bidders to operate the fish port," he said. Completion of construction of the facility, which took three years, is expected to spur economic growth and transform the fortunes of fisherfolk in the larger Coast region. Capt Ruto said the country's "journey to exploit the blue economy has started with the completion of the first fish port." "This momentous occasion underlines a major step forward in our journey to supporting maritime infrastructure and the blue economy development in our country," he said. "The journey for exploitation of the blue economy has started. We are proud that a Kenyan firm has delivered the facility to us." He said the fish port presents a strategic shift beyond the traditional handling of cargo because it has a fish processor, cold storage plant, and warehouse, among other facilities that will support the fishing sector. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to provide jobs to up to 1000 people. It has a capacity to handle 200 metric tonnes of fish and also process eight metric tonnes of ice cubes daily. The port's jetty measures 75 metres long and 30 metres wide, while the quay is 135 metres long and 30 metres wide. "The Shimoni port represents a unique strategic shift in our approach to port operations, diversifying beyond cargo handling to focus on specialised fisheries infrastructure," said Capt Ruto. "The port, which is equipped with modern facilities for vessel landing, fish processing, and cold storage, will ultimately bolster the fisheries value chain. At the same time, it will generate employment opportunities and boost local economic growth in the region." Investors in the fish sector, including local fishermen, are the primary targets of the modern fish facility. According to Capt Ruto, construction of the facilities started on October 1, 2022 and is benchmarked on similar facilities in Spain, Morocco, and Seychelles. Seco General Manager Abdalla Athman said completion was delayed due to some technical challenges, which have since been surmounted. "This project is going to spur economic growth in the region," he said. Mr Athman said Alpha Group, which is associated with Seco, will be among the users of Shimoni port, as it deals in fish. He said the construction of the modern port by a local firm confirmed that Kenya could be developed through locally valuable expertise and makes the Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiative a reality.

New Sh2.6b Kwale fish port lies idle as KPA hunts for operator

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

New Sh2.6b Kwale fish port lies idle as KPA hunts for operator

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS