New Kisumu port set to boost East African regional trade
Tebby Otieno
President Uhuru Kenyatta at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Kisumu during the 58th Madaraka Day celebration. Photo credit: State House Kenya
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has revived Port of Kisumu and reconditioned the MV Uhuru vessel, to improve regional trade between Kenya and Uganda. In what he terms as the Big Push Investment, the president said Kenya will now reduce time and transport cost by choosing ship over road transport.
The Port of Kisumu is one of the ports on Lake Victoria that offer organized shipping services on the lake. Reviving it, has created jobs and boosted morale for entrepreneurs in Kisumu, a Kenyan port city on Lake Victoria.
“To transport fuel by road from Kisumu to Uganda takes 72 hours because of the long queues at the Malaba border. But to transport fuel from the Port of Kisumu to Port Bell in Uganda by ship takes only 12 hours,” said Uhuru.
The Kenyan head of state also said that one wagon aboard MV Uhuru carries 60, 000 litres which is three times more the size of a tanker.
“If it costs $ 35 to transport one thousand litres of fuel by road per kilometre, it costs $ 16 to transport the same through the Port of Kisumu. For every $2 spent transporting fuel to Uganda by road, you spend only $1 through the port. Further, the fuel lost by road transport was estimated to be worth Sh. 6 Billion per year. Indeed, today, by transporting through rail, this has been reduced to zero, while fuel adulteration is a thing of the past,” said Uhuru.
President Uhuru revived Port of Kisumu and reconditioned the MV Uhuru vessel this week during his three days’ tour of the lake region where he also launched other projects.
He spoke during Kenya’s 58th Madaraka Day celebration which was held at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Kisumu. The celebration was also attended by President of the republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, First Lady Angeline Ndayubaha Ndayishimiye and Hon. Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister for Human Settlement, Water and Sanitation of the Republic of South Africa.
President Uhuru added that the presence of president Ndayishimiye in Kenya shows that the East African Community is continuing to grow stronger day by day.
“Mr. President as the current Chairperson of the East Africa Community and given the great work your Administration is doing in bringing back peace and development to Burundi, I pledge to work together with all our regional brothers and sisters to see an end to economic sanctions against your Country,” said Uhuru.
President Evariste Ndayishimiye at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu County for Madaraka Day Celebrations. Photo courtesy: State House Kenya.
Speaking during the ceremony that was attended by only three thousand people on invite and televised live in Kenya, president Ndayishimiye said Lake Victoria is a better way to connect Burundi through Tanzania to build regional peace and love.
“Yesterday you walked me around and showed me this town’s developments and I can say that it is easier for Burundi to connect with Kisumu because the shores of Lake Victoria are dotted in Bukoba, Tanzania which is near Burundi so to unite with Kisumu is very easy,” said Ndayishimiye who spoke in Kiswahili.
South African Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Kisumu during the 58th Madaraka Day. Photo credit: State House Kenya.
On her part Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, expressed her great pleasure in the strides Kenya has made since it took power after being colonized by British empire. Adding that Kenya has been an inspiration to South Africa from the time it got independence. She also termed the “handshake” relationship between former prime minister, Raila Odinga and president Uhuru Kenyatta, as an evidence of the kind of development African leaders are capable of delivering if they put their political differences aside.
“I’d like you to pay tribute to women of this country. Those women who stood by you, former presidents, former leaders and current leaders.” said Lindiwe.
Kenya has also revived 566 Kilometres of the dead Metre Gauge Railway. Every trip, the revived 200-Kilometers Nairobi-Nanyuki railway train will transport 1,600 passengers, which is equivalent to a convoy of 120 public service vehicle. The cost per passenger will be Sh.200 compared to Sh. 500 by public service vehicle.
About two weeks ago, president Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the first berth Lamu Port. It is the first Port to be built in Kenya since the Port of Mombasa in 1896, making Kenya the first country to build a deep-sea port on the East African Coast of the Indian Ocean after a period of 115 years. According to President Kenyatta, once it is operational, Kenya will have claimed its stake in the Indian Ocean real estate. The Port of Lamu will be able to handle ships the size of those that transit through the Suez Canal.
Lamu port is part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Program which is the Eastern Africa’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project bringing together Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
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