By Anderson Ojwang
A quick intervention and action by two former Permanent Secretaries in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration saved the multibillion-shilling donor-funded Kabonyo-Kanyagwal aquaculture project from cancellation.
Dr Francis Owino, who served as Permanent Secretary for the State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy, together with his colleague Dr Julius Jwan, then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, moved to domicile the Kabonyo-Kanyagwal project in the Fisheries Ministry.
Jwan, who spoke during a recent Nyanza leadership engagement in Kisumu, said that after Dr Owino was reassigned to the State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy, he was able to move the project from the Department of Veterinary Services, where it had been domiciled.
“The Hungarian government was funding the project, but there was a delay in the rollout. The funding period was coming to an end. We sat down with my colleague, Dr Owino, and strategised on how to rescue it,” he said.
He said there was delayed financing and that the agreement for the project was lapsing in May 2022. Through their intervention, the agreement was extended.
Jwan advised Dr Owino to move the project to his new department, the Fisheries Ministry, and that is how it survived cancellation.
He said the contract period was extended and, when President William Ruto came into power, the project became a priority.
“Our timely intervention stopped the cancellation of the multibillion-shilling Kabonyo-Kanyagwal aquaculture project, and today we are happy that it is becoming a reality,” he said.
Dr Jwan spoke during the Luo Community Economic Engagement in Kisumu, where he explained the importance of the community having its members in government and collaborating with the government of the day.
Works
Construction of the Sh2.5 billion Kabonyo-Kanyagwal Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre of Excellence in Kisumu has resumed.
This followed a recent directive by President Ruto to fast-track the stalled works during a meeting with Kisumu County leaders at State House last month.
Heavy machinery has been deployed to the site, with construction crews back on the ground, a sign of renewed government commitment to the transformative initiative.
The project, which is part of efforts to revitalise Kenya’s blue economy, is a partnership between the Kenyan and Hungarian governments.
Project Engineer Vundi Mbwika said construction, currently at 30 per cent completion, is progressing steadily.
“Five permanent buildings are under construction, and we have begun excavating a canal to manage backflow from Lake Victoria and overflow from River Nyando,” he said.
He added that an 800-metre access road is being developed within the site, alongside a three-metre-wide flood canal to safeguard the facility from rising water levels.
The first phase of the project, he said, was expected to be complete by June 2026.
“Once operational, the facility will produce 28 million fingerlings annually from 20 fish ponds,” he said.
It will also feature administrative blocks, dormitories, staff quarters, a hatchery, cold storage and processing units.
Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o praised the President’s intervention and expressed satisfaction with the ongoing works.
“I want to thank President Ruto for his commitment. He assured us at State House that the project would be delivered, and we are seeing that promise being fulfilled,” said Prof. Nyong’o.
He said the centre will serve as both a production site and a specialised training ground for farmers and fisheries stakeholders, significantly boosting aquaculture in the region.
“Fish bred at the facility will be distributed to smallholder farmers and used to restock Lake Victoria, where fish stocks have declined sharply,” he added.
“Thousands of small-scale fish farmers stand to benefit from this initiative, which aligns with national efforts to enhance food security and increase household incomes in the Lake Region,” he said.
The project, he added, was also poised to create numerous short- and long-term job opportunities for engineers, artisans, architects and other professionals, injecting economic vitality into Kisumu County.
Kisumu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation, Kenneth Onyango, said the project will be a game-changer for Kabonyo-Kanyagwal Ward, an area long plagued by perennial flooding.
“This project will stimulate the local economy through enhanced fish production, infrastructure upgrades and job creation,” he said.
He added that it will also benefit non-fishing communities by mitigating floods and unlocking idle land for farming.
