Plans to ramp up fisheries and blue economy production through tapping the full potential of Lake Victoria are on course, the state says.

Leaders from the region say there is evidence of implementation of the Kabonyo Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Training Centre of Excellence in Nyando Sub-County, Kisumu County, is taking shape.

Addressing the press during an inspection and verification tour of the facility Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo highlighted the progress already made on the project.

He stressed that upon completion, it will boost the blue economy value chains by supplying fingerlings in the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) and support the restocking of Lake Victoria.

“One of the integral components of this project is to have a production facility for fingerlings that we can use for purposes of enhancing the production of fish in the lake,” Owalo explained.

The modern facility with capacity to produce 28 million fingerlings annually, he added, will significantly address the challenge of depletion of fish species in Lake Victoria. Besides fingerlings production, Owalo said the facility will facilitate training, research, innovation and best practices in fisheries and aquaculture.

Construction of Phase One at a cost of Kshh1.3 billion ($10.1 million), which started in November 2024, is in progress and is currently 27 per cent complete.

“The horizontal infrastructure, the whole network is already being worked on. A canal to block backflow of water from the lake has already been done. Administration block foundation, the laboratory, dormitory, staff quarters and other amenities are work-in-progress,” he clarified.

Owalo reassured that the government is committed to ensuring effective implementation of projects and programs aimed at transforming rural livelihoods as espoused under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

“We are a bit concerned about the slow pace of the project. However, appeal has been made to the contractor to improve their performance to ensure the project is completed within the agreed-upon timeframe so that by 2027, the project should be up and running,” explained Owalo.

The government, in addition, is currently implementing various interventions around the lake, including the establishment and operationalisation of fish landing sites to provide adequate refrigeration facilities for the fisher folk.

The deputy chief of staff further assured that the 10 kilometres Korowe-Nyang’ande-Kabonyo road is under proposal to be upgraded to bitumen standards to improve accessibility to the facility.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Robert Ojwang’

Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo addressing the press during an inspection and verification tour of the Kabonyo Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Training Centre of Excellence in Nyando Sub- County, Kisumu County on Wednesday. Photo by Robert Ojwang’

Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo with local leaders toured the Kabonyo Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Service and Training Centre of Excellence (Phase I) in Nyando, Kisumu County. Credit Robert Ojwang’