A grim record of 269 fatalities from 420 accidents over the last decade has prompted the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) to launch a Sh600 million national safety and transport project on Lake Victoria.

​The “Kenya Lake Victoria Maritime Communications and Transport Project”, unveiled during a stakeholder briefing held on Monday, April 20, 2026, aims to professionalise the lake’s informal transport sector and slash the high number of “preventable” drowning deaths.

​According to Oliver Maina of KMA’s Department of Maritime Safety, the fatality rate where nearly every two accidents result in a death is a direct consequence of substandard vessels, uncertified operators, and chronic overloading.

​”Drowning deaths are preventable by simply wearing a life jacket,” Maina said. “But we face root causes like the high cost of compliance and low household incomes, where risk perception is low because every shilling is divided among the urgent needs of the household.”

To combat these risks, KMA is decentralising its operations across five counties: Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori. A primary rescue coordination centre will be established in Kisumu, supported by satellite centres in Wichlum, Mulukoba, Mbita, and Bongu Beach.

​These stations will be equipped with fast rescue boats and a new maritime safety information system designed to provide real-time weather and hazard alerts to fishermen and transporters before they set sail.

Resource allocation

​Statistics shared by the authority highlight the urgency for targeted resource allocation: Homa Bay and Siaya counties together host 70% of the 16,255 vessels currently operating on the lake.

In a massive bid to modernise the sector, KMA has partnered with the Bandari Maritime Academy to train 17,000 personnel. The initiative focuses on creating a “competent maritime labour force” that can compete in both local and international markets.

​”Training is like a life jacket: you require it before you need it,” said Franklin Onyango of Bandari Maritime Academy, noting that the licences provided will be internationally recognised.

Lake Victoria leadership

The initiative has received strong backing from local leadership. Siaya County Beach Management Unit (BMU) Coordinator Willis Ochieng confirmed that the county government is already planning additional satellite rescue centres at Usenge and Luanda Kotieno to complement the KMA network.

​”We are here to make sure the beneficiaries are recruited in a free and fair manner through our BMU network,” Ochieng stated.

​The project aims to increase vessel safety compliance from its current low of 15% to over 40% within the next three years, potentially saving hundreds of lives on Africa’s largest lake.