The port facility is equipped with modern facilities for landing of vessels, fish processing and cold storage, offering a unique opportunity for berthing two fishing vessels simultaneously.
Kenya’s effort to unlock the full potential of its blue economy has received a major boost with the handover of the Shimoni Fish Port in Kwale county, the first integrated fishing facility of its kind in the East African nation.
Kenya’s coastal and deep-sea fishery, which consists of small-scale, semi-industrial, industrial, aquarium and recreational fisheries, contributes over 10% of the total annual national fishery production, estimated to be about 146,500 metric tonnes, with the other 90% made up of fresh water production, including catches from the country’s great lakes and from fish farms. The catch from Lake Victoria contributes over 70,000 metric tonnes.
Construction of the Ksh2.6 billion (approximately USD$20 million) Shimoni Fish Port facility began in October 2022, spearheaded by Kenyan firm and consultant, Southern Engineering Company Limited (SECO).
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director, Captain William Ruto, speaking when the contractor handed over the Port to KPA on July 16, 2025, said the journey towards fully exploiting the blue economy in Kenya and the region “just got a new lease of life.”
“The journey towards exploiting the blue economy has started and I am proud that a Kenyan firm and consultant have delivered a very good project, whose feasibility study commenced way back in 2017,” he said.
Kenya has relied on smaller fishing vessels berthing at the far smaller Liwatoni Fishing Port for years and experts see the new port as a major player in moving Kenya closer to the Ksh500 billion ($386 million) annual income target that the country’s president, William Ruto, has said is the true potential of the country’s blue economy.
The port facility, he said, is equipped with modern facilities for landing of vessels, fish processing and cold storage, offering a unique opportunity for berthing two fishing vessels simultaneously.
The Shimoni Fish Port is a flagship project for KPA, also includes a jetty measuring 75 meters by 30 meters and a 135-metre causeway.
Ruto noted that the Fish Port represents a unique strategic shift of KPA’s approach to port operations, diversifying beyond cargo handling to focus on specialized fisheries infrastructure.
“KPA is committed to promoting efficient port operations to facilitate both regional integration and international trade. We are therefore keen in focusing on investing in port infrastructure to boost efficiency and service delivery,” he added.
The Port has the capacity to handle up to 200 tonnes of fish per day, in the process creating more than 1,000 jobs.
“This project will have ripple effects across the entire fisheries sector, benefiting fishermen, processors and traders alike,” said SECO Managing Director Abdalla Athman.
KPA is set to issue an international call for private operators to run the port within the next three to six months, with official commissioning by Kenya’s president scheduled for a later date.