A new maritime safety facility under construction in Kisumu is set to dramatically reduce the high number of fatalities occurring on Lake Victoria, according to Deputy Chief of Staff for Delivery and Government Efficiency, Eliud Owalo.
Speaking during an inspection of the Kisumu Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC), Owalo expressed optimism that the state-of-the-art facility would significantly reduce the annual death toll of between 300 and 400 people, many of them fishermen and water transport users, who perish in accidents on Africa’s largest lake.
Currently at 17% completion, the Kisumu MRCC is designed to become the central hub for all maritime emergency response operations on the lake. It will coordinate timely search and rescue efforts, drastically improving survival rates in cases of boat collisions, capsizes, adverse weather incidents, or medical emergencies.
“The project will not only save lives in the future,” said Owalo, “but is currently creating jobs for young people, injecting much-needed income into local supply chains, and aligning with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).”
The MRCC will feature modern communication and surveillance technologies, including GSM-based systems to detect distress signals swiftly and mobilize rapid response teams. This capability is a major improvement over the current system, which largely relies on beach management units and informal networks to carry out rescue missions, often with limited resources and poor coordination.
“For the longest time, maritime incidents in the lake have been left to chance,” Owalo noted. “Rescues have often been too little, too late, leading to unnecessary loss of lives, livelihoods, and property.”
The initiative is spearheaded by the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) and is a key component of the government’s broader strategy to modernize Kenya’s inland water safety infrastructure. The MRCC will not only serve Kisumu but will also provide emergency coordination services to the neighbouring counties of Busia, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Migori, areas whose populations are heavily reliant on Lake Victoria for fishing, trade, and transport.
The facility is expected to cut response times significantly and establish a well-coordinated rescue system that will operate around the clock. In addition to emergency response, the MRCC will also be responsible for maritime safety awareness, training, and enforcement of regulations aimed at reducing avoidable accidents on the lake.
Once operational, the Kisumu Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre will mark a major milestone in Kenya’s effort to protect the lives of thousands who depend on Lake Victoria, reinforcing the country’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient maritime economy.
Written By Rodney Mbua
