Lake Victoria: Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has concluded an extensive assessment on the integration of cold storage chains along Lake Victoria. LVBC Executive Secretary (ES) Dr. Masinde Bwire said the findings of the study, conducted between January 20 and 25, 2025, would pave the way for the establishment of cold chain storage infrastructure across Lake Victoria to promote regional trade.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative targets to leverage Inland Waterways Transport (IWT) systems to transport perishable goods, including fish, agricultural products, dairy products, and pharmaceuticals. Speaking during the 11th Joint Regional Policy Steering Committee (RPSC) Meeting for the Lake Victoria Basin Commission’s projects and programmes held in Kisumu on Wednesday, Dr. Bwire said the final report for the assessment would guide the agency, whose mandate is to coordinate sustainable development and management of Lake Victoria basin, to mobilize funds from the eight East Africa Community (EAC) nations and development partners to establish the cold storage facilities.
Dr. Bwire highlighted the region’s potential, given its water bodies, including lakes and rivers, calling for the development of a robust inland waterways transport system to boost regional and intra-Africa trade. Lake Victoria’s transport system, he stated, was well-positioned to drive regional trade, with the cold-chain integration set to significantly cut travel time and enhance the overall efficiency of goods movement within the East African region.
He mentioned that the development is poised to transform regional trade by offering a more sustainable and reliable means of transporting perishable commodities while unlocking economic opportunities for communities within the basin. The initiative would also reduce pollution associated with road transportation, besides saving East African states billions of shillings spent on road maintenance.
Dr. Bwire pointed out the success of fuel transportation via Lake Victoria, where two fuel tankers, MV Kabaka Mutebi II and MT Elgon, have revolutionized logistics by transporting over 9,000 tonnes of fuel, equivalent to more than 300 fuel trucks, between Kisumu Port and Uganda in a single trip.
To enhance safety in Lake Victoria, LVBC, through the Multinational Lake Victoria Maritime Communication and Transport (MLVMCT) project, is constructing a modern maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Ilemela in Mwanza region of Tanzania. The facility, which is 70% complete, will feature a modern control and call centre for receiving emergency calls on the 110 code, a first aid clinic, speed boats, and ambulance boats, among other facilities to carry out rescue operations within the lake.
A similar facility is being constructed in Kisumu, while a Maritime Survival Training Institute is also under construction at Entebbe in Uganda, all geared towards ensuring the safety of lake transport to promote regional trade. The meeting was attended by senior ministry officials from Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On Friday, Permanent Secretaries from relevant Ministries and state departments from the seven countries are expected to review the previous Joint RPSC meeting held from January 30 to February 3, 2023, and assess the progress of projects implementation.