Siaya County Government led by Governor James Aggrey Bob Orengo today took part in an ongoing week-long Madaraka Day Thematic Conference on Maritime and Blue Economy.
The culmination of the high-level summit will be this year’s 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations to be held in Homa Bay County. The Thematic meeting chaired by President William Samoei Ruto and Right Honourable Raila Amollo Odinga seeks to address economic challenges to enable gainful employment impact for the people of the lake region.
The partnership touches on critical areas that will support the value chain, infrastructure, mobility and connectivity for the Lake region.
The President also launched the first beach project in the region promising to ensure the blue economy for the region is boosted for job creation and sustainability. The president announced that Phase One has organized over 400 beaches across the county.
Additionally he said Phase Two will create cooperative societies to collect and market the fish from the region. The president also told participants that certain boost measures will be done like training to ensure that farmers are knowledgeable about the economic gains that will come with these beach managements.
President William Ruto congratulated Governor James Orengo and Gladys Wanga for working round the clock collaborating with the national government to ensure start and success for these projects.
Some of these projects aim at injecting over KES 30 to KES 40 billion into the Kenyan economy.
President William Ruto announced steps that the Government is taking to build all these.
Fisher fingerling farms have
been done at Kabonyo. Said president William Ruto.
He at the same time promised to boost aquaculture in the region to increase fish stock in the area. Infrastructure for fish landing sites has been commenced along Indian Ocean and at the lake surroundings.
He mentioned the fish landing site at Luanda k’Otieno.
The Lwanda k’Otieno fish landing site was commissioned by Governor James Orengo together with Mining Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinets Secretary Hassan Joho in February early this year.
Noting that 70% of the lakes area is in Homa Bay County the president stressed on the need to ensure all the fish landing sites are completed within a year. Already the National government led by the President has commissioned fish landing sites in Usenge Beach, Wich Lum and Asembo Bay all in Siaya County.
Governor James Orengo’s blueprint on blue economy entails a comprehensive set up of modern infrastructure that is geared towards economic stimulus improvement for the lake activities for the residents. Modern road network that can facilitate movement in and out of the beaches, and addressing insecurities for fisher folks.
The national government calls for adhering to fishing standards to avoid fetching premature fish.
Ruto also promised to address perennial beach insecurities that continue to pose challenges to fisher folks around the waters. Several patrol boats will be deployed to boost security.
The president noted that the sector only contributes for 0.04% of the economy but can do better.
President William Ruto was accompanied by ODM Leader and former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga, who thanked President William Ruto for giving the region a much-needed development boost noting that lives of area residents will improve enormously from the projects of blue economy that the National government is putting up.
Raila noted that blue economy is now top among the potential sources for food and nutritional value chain.. Odinga said for the projects to succeed certain measures should be taken including a rollout of an army of professionals to help in exploring other missing maritime opportunities.
He also spoke of enhancing capacity to export sea food as a robust comprehensive mechanism to sustain the blue economy.
Swamps mangroove economy should be enhanced said Raila who hailed the national government for the initiatives that will cover Siaya, Kisumu Homabay and Migori Counties. Raila also called for increased efforts in environmental conservation.
“All major lake points must be sealed as we work on modernisation of the port system,” said the former Premier.
Present during the summit were all Nyanza Governors led by Prof. Peter Anyang Nyongo.
Others present were Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Energy CS James Opiyo Wandayi among other County and National government officials.
President William Ruto is holding this year’s Madaraka day celebrations in the lake region county of Homa Bay.
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