The government has awarded a boat to fishermen in Lake Turkana to boost security in the lake.
Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said that the 50 million shilling patrol boat will provide security to those engaged in fishing activities in Lake Turkana.
Mvurya vowed to deploy more fisheries and coast guard officers to enhance security in the areas around Lake Turkana.
According to Mvurya, the Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, will provide free training to 1,000 youths working in Lake Turkana. The training will equip them with the basic skills of safety along the lake.
He also said that they will further get 50 youths from Turkana County to be trained on locally-made life jackets for the fishermen and all those that will be using the lake.
At the same time, he warned against illegal mining in Turkana County, saying that the government will shut down mining activities run by illegal investors who have not followed proper procedures in the area.
He also said that small-scale miners will be listed in cooperative societies for purposes of training and funding.
“Already, we have five cooperatives here, and we will do more registration so that we have them properly organised for purposes of training and access to funding,” he said.
Mvurya, who visited Turkana County purposely to announce new devolutions and reforms, also vowed to work closely with the County Government of Turkana on matters of licensing.
On the issue of royalty payments, he said that there is need for leaders to close ranks in order to stop illegal mining activities in the county.
All investors should pay for mining activities so as to attract revenue to pay 20% of the royalty funds requested by the County Government of Turkana.
The CS said he is also aware of rising waters in Lake Turkana, Lake Baringo, Lake Naivasha, and the Indian Ocean. He urged people to move away from riparian areas, pointing out that a lot of strange things are happening in water bodies during this time of climate change.
He urged those who want to engage in mining activities to send their applications to an online cadastre and provide all required documents to assess their credibility.
By Ngasike Ezekiel and Peter Gitonga
