Kenya's first fish port complete, handed over to KPA

Kenya's first fish port is complete and will be operationalised in the next six months.

The Shimoni fish port located in Lunga Lunga subcounty in Kwale was on Tuesday handed over to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) by the contractor Southern Engineering Company (Seco).

It was constructed over the last three years for Sh2.6 billion and is expected to spur economic growth and transform the fortunes of fisherfolk in the region.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the project site, KPA managing director Captain William 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 the exploitation of the blue economy has started. We are proud that a Kenyan firm has delivered the facility to us," he said

Ruto said KPA will advertise an international tender for the Shimoni port operator, who is expected to start operations in the next six months.

"We are going to advertise an international tender to attract local and international bidders to operate the fish port," he said.

He said the construction of the fish port was a reflection of KPA's commitment to contributing to the growth of the blue economy sector.

He said for KPA, the fish port presented 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 operational, the facility can employ up to 1000 people. The fish port can handle 200 metric tons of fish a day. The ice plant can also process eight metric tons of ice cubes a day.

The 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.

"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," he stated.

Investors in the fish sector, including local fishermen, will benefit from the modern fish facility.

According to Captain Ruto, construction of the facilities started on October 1, 2022, after KPA went for benchmarking missions in Spain, Morocco and Seychelles and found the project viable.

Seco general manager Mr Abdalla Athman said the construction was delayed due to some technical challenges, but they had finally surmounted the challenges and completed the works.

"This project is going to spur economic growth in this region. The will be many businesses and many will be in this region," he said. He 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.

The facility will be officially commissioned at a later date.