Homa Bay fish factory promised by Ruto to be set up ‘this year’
Workers at Victory Farms load fish from a cage int to a boat at Rowo Beach in Suba Sub-county in Homa Bay County on January 24, 2022.
Fishermen and fish traders in Homa Bay have the national government’s plan to put up a fish processing plant in the county, saying it will save them from unnecessary losses.
They said having a fish factory will not only help to improve their livelihoods but also create jobs for residents.
President William Ruto has previously stated that his government intends to support the fisheries sector in the lake region. This includes the establishment of the Sh2.5 billion Kabonyo Kanyagwal fisheries and aquaculture research centre in Kisumu. In Homa Bay, the President said his administration will set up a Sh400 million fish processing factory.
More than 60 per cent of Kenya’s portion of Lake Victoria is in Homa Bay, but it does not have a fish processing plant. This is after Capital Fish, a private factory, shut its doors in 2012.
Kenya Fish Marketing Authority chairman Martin Ogindo said the new processing plant will be established before the end of this year. He added that the agency is fast-tracking the process to ensure residents benefit from resources in Lake Victoria.
“We have begun following up on the promise to ensure the success of the project. President Ruto promised this and I will ensure it is done,” he said.
Employment
Mr Ogindo said the project will help to combat unemployment in the county, noting that it will employ a number of people both directly and indirectly.
“Establishment of the industry will enhance economic growth in this area by improving residents’ livelihoods,” Mr Ogindo said.
His sentiments were supported by Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency Chairman Odoyo Owidi who told local leaders and residents to support the government’s efforts in undertaking the project.
The establishment of the factory will come as a big relief for fishermen and fish traders since fish is highly perishable and mishandling can lead to total loss.
When Governor Gladys Wanga served as a Woman Rep, she built an Sh8 million market to help fish traders address their challenges. The market has a cold storage facility where fish that is not sold during the day is kept.
But it costs more to keep fish at the facility. Mr Vin Ondeyo, a fish trader, said failing to sell fish for a day lowers profitability. Traders are required to pay Sh10 per fish kept at the cold storage facility.
“We also buy ice at Sh50, but we never increase the amount we charge customers yet we spend money to keep it fresh. We pay to depend on the number of fish,” Mr Ondeyo said.
According to him, the cold storage facility is a temporary solution to the problems they face.
“Fish cannot be kept for more than three days, otherwise it will go bad and be discarded. There needs to be another solution to the losses we suffer,” Mr Ondeyo said. He explained that a fish processing factory will help solve their challenges.
His sentiments were echoed by Homa Bay Sub-county Beach Management Unit Chairman Alfred Anyango who said having a factory in the county will save them from middlemen who exploit them by buying fish at lower prices.
"We have been exploited for years. Having a factory will save us from the losses,” he said.
