Dredging of Kisumu Port will be of greater benefits, says Raila

 

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga flags off a machine that is meant to carry out dredging at the Kisumu Port to allow more ships dock at the rehabilitated facility-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

January 23, 2021

Dredging of Kisumu Port will be of greater benefits, says Raila

THE dredging of the Kisumu Port will be of great benefits to the people within the East African Community, Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said.

Odinga says the ongoing refurbishment of the Kisumu Port that include the dredging will now allow even bigger ships from the East African Community to dock while bringing in and taking out goods.

Addressing the press at the Kisumu Port today during the launch of an equipment to start doing the dredging works, Odinga said the port refurbishment is not only about dredging it but also to extend the length of the port by 400 meters.

He says this will allow more ships to dock within the Port at the same time after the rehabilitation of the port.

Odinga hinted that the dredging will also extend to the pipeline area where the Oil Jetty is, adding that this will allow big ships to carry several litters of oils from the Oil Jetty to their destinations in Uganda, Tanzania and even to parts of Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Oil tankers will now be able to come and load fuel at the Jetty and take the oil to various destinations without much problems,” Raila says.

He says the Dredging will also continue at the Mbita Course way to open it up and remove some obstacles for the water in the gulf can flow to the main Lake.

Odinga says this will also allow the ships to go under the bridge at Mbita Course way to Tanzania straight away.

He says the dredging of feeder ports along the Winam Gulf like Kendu Bay, Asembo Bay, Homa Bay, Sio Port, Bunyala and Karungu Bay among other will also be carried out so as to allow smooth sail of ships within the Lake and ease the Lake Transport.

He says this will also allow goods to be taken to various destinations within the Gulf and beyond.

Odinga also hinted that the Kisumu Port which is as a result of the Handshake between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta in March 2018 will be made available for business use by the business people within and outside the region.

He has urged the Contractor for the project to work within the stipulated timelines so that the port can be officially commissioned.

Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o says the current political stability in the country has allowed even the Kisumu Port to be refurbished and this is a great achievement.

Nyong’o says within a year of the refurbished Port, Cargo handling volume has gone up to 60 percent since 2019.

He says economic and job development have now been created as a result of the refurbished port of Kisumu.

“Anybody who therefore says he has not seen the benefit of handshake in Kisumu is a liar and in Kisumu, we have not only seen it but also experience it,” Nyong’o says.

 

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