The African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development Raila Odinga is set to launch the Winam Gulf which has been invaded by the weed extending to Homa Bay County to boost transport on Lake Victoria after the government started dredging the water body to ease vessel navigation.
The project, will also include eradication of water hyacinth and removal of sediments to open up the lakeside port.
According to the Kenya Ports Authority head of Inland Waterways Javan Wanga while speaking at the Kisumu Port said, the exercise will cover 62 kilometres and will take at least 30 months to complete.
He further added saying that the shoreline would be drilled to at least six metres to allow berthing of heavily loaded ships.
“The pier has accumulated residues over the years and has made some areas shallow up to a level of between 1.5 and three metres deep,” he said.
In addition the landing bay would be widened to around 80 metres to enable it to accommodate two ships at a time.
“The government is committed to revitalising the lake for optimisation of the blue economy and make the lake beneficial to the economy of the region,” said Wanga.
According to Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathews Owili and officials of Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Pipeline Corporation, Kenya Railways Authority, Lake Victoria Basin Commission and Lake Region Economic Bloc were at the port to receive the vessel which arrived on Thurday.
Mv Mangoe Tree administrator Frank Nenard, said the removal of the stubborn weed would start after three months as they await two hyacinth harvesting machines to be shipped from China.
In the meantime the firm will hire and train locals to clean-up the lake.
Mr Wanga said there are plans to put up a barricade around the gulf to effectively control the weed.
“The hyacinth harvester is envisioned to stay around for the next 10 years and we hope to eradicate the weed by the time,” he said.
Dr Owili said the dredging and removal of the hyacinth are just part of the plan to transform the lake infrastructure.