Hundreds of fishermen in Kilifi County are set to benefit from 6 modern boats donated by the Go-Blue Project in efforts to boost fishing activities in the region. Kilifi Governor Gideon Mungaro, who is also the chairman of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) in collaboration with the European Union officials handed over the fully equipped boats to Uyombo and Mtwapa Beach Management Units (BMU) which will manage their operations. Speaking during the handing over event, Mung’aro said his administration will remain committed to transforming the fishing sector through acquiring fishing equipment and empowering the fishermen. ‘In line with my manifesto, I remain committed to empower artisanal fishermen with valuable additional equipment and training that would enable them undertake deep sea fishing to maximize their earnings,’ he said. He explained that the fishing sector in Kilifi has a great potential to boost the economic status for many residents and assured to fully exploit the opportunities available to boost the blue economy. Mung’aro promised to provide the fishermen with cold storage facilities to facilitate value addition and increase productivity. ‘Sometimes our hardworking fishermen get losses when their catch does not reach the market in time. This is because they don’t have storage facilities. We are also working to solve that,’ he said. Kilifi County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Blue Economy Patterson Chula applauded the continued support from the European Union and the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani to ensure the development agenda of the County government is achieved.

Source: Kenya News Agency