KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 6 – The administration of Kenya Kwanza Government has pledged to restock Lake Victoria, whose fish stock has dwindled in recent years.
President William Ruto says food security is his number one priority in the country and the establishment of Kabonyo Kanyagwal fish aquaculture project is a testimony to his commitment.
While speaking in Nyando Sub County on Friday during the groundbreaking of a Sh. 1 billion project funded by the Hungarian government, President Ruto says by December next year, the establishment will stand.
“You have waited for this fish project for the last 20 years, I want to assure you that I will be back before December next year to come and open it,” he said.
Ruto says fish is one of the items which is going to help his government sort out the challenge of high cost of living by making sure there is adequate food in the country.
He announced that the aquaculture will produce 7 million fingerlings in the first year of operations before it scales up to 10 million fingerlings.
“We will take the fingerlings to the fish ponds in the country and use the rest to restock the lake,” he said.
Ruto says Lake Victoria has in the past years faced a myriad of challenges that has led to the depletion of fish stocks, forcing the country to import fish.
He says his government will engage in an ambitious restocking of the lake for purposes of ensuring there is adequate fish for local consumption and for export.
“Besides this project, my government is building 8 fish landing sites spread in the four counties in the region,” he said.
He says Sh. 600 million was dedicated to ensure the landing sites have cold storages, processing units and to ensure Beach Management Units (BMUs) are well structured.
The head of state further announced that soon his government will stop rice importation in the country so as to uplift the living standards of rice farmers.
“As a government, we’re rolling out a comprehensive program and we are going to work with county governments so as to farm rice here for consumption,” he said.
President Ruto who is in his first four days visits in Nyanza region says his administration too is working on modalities to revive all the five sugar mills in the country.
He noted that the mills were drowned in debts amounting to Sh. 117 billion, which through cabinet approval has been written off.
Ruto says the mills have been given a new lease of life and through interventions being employed by the government, the mills will be back to profitability.
Present during the groundbreaking was the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Salim Mvurya, Hungarian ambassador to Kenya H.E Zsolt Meszaros and Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o alongside other government and elected leaders.
