The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) has allocated Sh4.6 billion in a project meant to boost security, safety and curb accidents in Lake Victoria.

This comes after their survey indicated that 146 out of 420 accidents which occurred in Lake Victoria led to deaths in a period of ten years.

The accidents killed 252 people. At least 80 per cent of them drowned.

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The accidents involve vessels, especially boats.

The Deputy Director in charge of Maritime Safety at KMA Oliver Maina said they are committed to curbing accidents, which is one of the major problems in the lake.

Maina said the funds are going to be used for addressing causes of various issues affecting fishermen in Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Mogori counties. The counties share Lake Victoria.

The issues include substandard vessels, insecurity, untrained personnel driving boats, marine pollution and dwindling fish stocks.

The programme encompasses construction of search and rescue centers in the five counties to facilitate safety of Lake Victoria users.

“Kenya Maritime Authority is devolving its services from Mombasa to the Kenyan counties bordering Lake Victoria. Fishermen who want KMA services around Lake Victoria will go to the counties which act as centres,” Maina said.

Speaking during stakeholders meeting at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay town, the officer said they are going to enforce building of boats in accordance with the standards set by the KMA.

Maina said they were going to train about 400 youths from the region on tailoring to manufacture life jackets. This will reduce prices of life jackets from Sh3000 to Sh1500.

Another 17,000 youths will be trained as coxswains in the programme to operate in the lake. KMA will as well accord the coxswains recognition of prior learning certificates to validate their operations.

He expressed concerns that coxswains who drive 16, 255 vessels in Lake Victoria lack licenses.

“The coxswains are competent but their training is informal. We will train them on pollution and the safety of the vessel besides the recognition of prior learning,” Maina added.

KMA Regional Director in Nyanza Henry Mwasaru said the project will accord vessel operators in the lake adequate knowledge.

He said the main search and rescue center is being built in Kisumu.

“The center in Kisumu will co-ordinate KMA activities across the lake region. Vessels which operate in Lake Victoria will be certified,” Mwasaru said.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi and the county Beach Management Units (BMU) chairman Edward Oremo said the county loses about five people every month.

Mwiwawi said the project will reduce accidents in Lake Victoria.

“Most of our fisherfolk still use dilapidated boats. We cannot afford to continue losing lives of many people hence we must comply with the use of standard vessels,” Mwiwawi said.

Oremo said the project will transform the lives of fishermen as they will operate with knowledge and skills.

“Many fishermen have drowned due to lack of life jackets because they are expensive. We’ve also suffered due to lack of trained coxswains to address the problems and motivate them,” Oremo said.