Gov't to deploy more security officers, patrol boats on Lake Victoria

Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo said the additional personnel and equipment would strengthen surveillance, improve border patrol operations and protect fishermen operating in Kenyan waters.

Speaking during an engagement with Beach Management Units (BMUs) and business leaders in Migori County on Friday, November 6, Omollo acknowledged persistent security challenges around Migingo Island and areas bordering Uganda and Tanzania.

“We are going to increase the number of officers that are going to support in securing you as well as securing the lake. We are also going to bring additional patrol boats,” he said.

The PS assured fishing communities that the additional officers and patrol boats would be deployed before the end of the year, adding that the government was consulting the Border Patrol Unit and the Kenya Coast Guard Service to coordinate the interventions.

Omollo also called for the modernisation of patrol operations, noting that the continued use of traditional wooden boats posed safety risks to security personnel.

Beyond security, the government is expanding investments in the fishing industry through the construction of nine modern fish landing sites along Lake Victoria.

Omollo said the facilities, including ongoing works at Muhuru Bay Pier in Migori County, would incorporate cold storage rooms, hygienic fish-handling areas and improved trading infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and increase fishermen's earnings.

“The President has been very deliberate, very intentional. He's doing nine fish landing sites on Lake Victoria. He's doing piers so that beyond supporting the fishing industry, he's also making it possible for transport by water to be safe and convenient,” he stated.

The government is also investing in water transport infrastructure, with works at Homa Bay completed and construction ongoing at Usenge in Siaya County.

Additional developments are planned at Mbita, Kendu Bay and Sena on Mfangano Island.

A public ferry in Kisumu is also nearing completion and is expected to improve passenger movement and facilitate trade between communities around the lake.

Omollo further disclosed that President William Ruto is expected to visit the Lake Victoria region in the coming weeks to launch construction of the approximately 500-kilometre Lake Victoria Ring Road, which will stretch from Migori to Busia.

He said the road, alongside the revival of stalled construction projects and development of new road networks, would improve connectivity between fish landing sites, markets and commercial centres.

The PS also urged Beach Management Units to strengthen their Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) through increased membership, transparent financial management and better governance.

He called for the training of SACCO officials in financial management and accountability to safeguard members' savings and support the expansion of fishing businesses.

Omollo also encouraged fishing communities to diversify their livelihoods through complementary economic activities, including integrated poultry farming.

On market access, he said the government was constructing more than 600 markets across the country, with modern facilities expected to incorporate electricity, water and cold storage infrastructure.

He noted that the facilities would help fishermen preserve their products, minimise post-harvest losses and reduce exploitation by middlemen.

The PS said the government wanted the fishing industry to receive the same level of investment and attention accorded to other agricultural sectors, including coffee, tea, dairy and sugarcane.

He added that the government's healthcare reforms under Taifa Care had seen more than 33 million Kenyans register with the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the programme was intended to shield households from the financial burden of medical expenses.

Omollo was accompanied by Lang'ata MP Felix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang'o, alongside national and county government officials, security officers, BMU representatives and members of the business community.