Uhuru to unveil country's first modern shipyard during Coast tour

President Uhuru Kenyatta. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected for a two-day tour of the Coast starting today.

Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata said yesterday the president commission the first modern shipyard at Mtongwe Kenya Navy Base within the port of Mombasa.

"We are happy to welcome the President to Mombasa County. The launch of this important ship-building yard will boost the economy of the Coast and the country," he said.

Elungata said this after leading other officials from the President Delivery Unit in a tour of the shipyard or dockyard, which is an enclosed area of land where ships are built or repaired.

At least 70 per cent of the new facility will be owned by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and will be operated by the Kenya Shipyard Limited (KSL).

"Kenya will for the first time have the capacity of building ships longer than a standard football field. It will have a capacity of building ships 150 meters long, with a tonnage capacity of 4,000 tons," said Elungata.

The facility is expected to save Sh68 billion, an estimated maintenance fee Kenya pays every 10 years for its naval fleets. Kenya has 17 military ships.

Kenya will save Sh6.8 billion every year in servicing its marine hardware, according to marine experts who said a ship has a life span of 10-15 years before a full makeover.

"The cost of taking a ship to the Netherlands or Spain for servicing is about Sh4 Billion per ship," said an expert at the naval force who did not wish to be named.

The new facility has been billed as the largest in East Africa and is expected to contribute massively to the growth of the blue economy.

"This means we will now spend maintenance costs locally, thus creating over 10,000 jobs annually," said Elungata.