President Dr. William Ruto is expected to commence a five-day working tour of the Coast region, covering the five coastal counties, and inspect development projects.
During this tour, he is expected to inaugurate, commission, and inspect several government projects that directly impact ordinary Kenyans.
Speaking to the media at Mombasa State House, the State House Spokesperson, Mr. Hussein Mohammed, said that as part of the tour, the President will focus on inspecting projects in the Blue economy and fisheries sector, specifically in Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, and Mombasa counties.
Mohammed said he will also issue grants to common interest groups in the four counties amounting to over Sh. 552 million, beginning with Lamu County on Thursday.
“You will recall that the President had previously issued grants worth Sh. 320 million earlier this year, and later this year, he will issue another round of grants worth Sh. 621 million to fishing groups in the region,” said Mohammed.
He added that the President will also commission a fish landing site in Kilifi County, further advancing the development of the Blue Economy and Fisheries Value Chain, a critical component of the government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda.
Mohammed said after the projects in Kilifi, the President will head to Ngao in Tana River County to commission the rehabilitated Sailoni headworks and rubber dam and inspect the ongoing rehabilitation of water delivery systems and farm restoration works at the Tana Delta Irrigation Project (TDIP).
“This project undertaken under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework will open up 12,000ha of land for rice irrigation, with an expected production capacity of 84,000 MT of rice per year. It will significantly reduce rice imports by 35 per cent, bolster the government’s food security agenda, and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for over 8,000 locals,” he said.
To deliver on his promise to the Pemba community in the country, the President pledged to address their status as citizens of Kenya. He is therefore expected to fulfil the pledge of Friday, August 28th, by issuing identification documents to members of the Pemba community, providing a lasting solution to their statelessness.
The President is also expected to issue title deeds in Kilifi County and later preside over the rededication ceremony of KNS Shupavu, a Kenyan navy warship that underwent a comprehensive refit at the Kenya Shipyards Limited in Mombasa.
“This is the first warship since independence to be refitted locally, leveraging on local expertise, and will go a long way in affirming the vision of Kenya Shipyards Limited to be a leading catalyst in the ship building industry in East and Central Africa,” added Mohammed.
On Saturday, Mohammed said that the President is expected to preside over the launch of the local vehicle assembly line and chair a meeting bringing together port users and other port stakeholders.
According to Mohammed, there is more to the President’s tour to the region, including interventions on agriculture and infrastructure as well as meetings with local leaders and residents in the respective areas.
By Chari Suche
