Bondo: At least 269 marine deaths have been recorded in Lake Victoria over the past decade, primarily due to noncompliance with required sea travel standards, according to a senior Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) official.
According to Kenya News Agency, KMA’s Maritime Safety department official, Oliver Maina, attributed the deaths to 420 accidents occurring in the lake from 2015 to 2025. Speaking at a stakeholders’ validation workshop at Bondo Technical Training Institute, Maina emphasized that most fatalities were due to drowning, which could have been prevented with proper use of life jackets.
“This is a high number, the severity of it is that every accident leads to two fatalities,” Maina stated. To tackle the alarming number of accidents, the KMA has initiated a multimillion-shilling Lake Victoria Maritime Communications and Transport project. This initiative seeks to address issues related to substandard vessels, overloading, and accidents in the lake.
Maina further revealed plans to open KMA offices in Busia, Siaya, Homabay, Kisumu, and Migori counties to bring operations closer to the public. Additionally, KMA plans to establish search and rescue centers within these counties. “The primary rescue coordination center will be established within the Kisumu regional office, with sub-centers in Wich Lum beach (Siaya), Mulukoba (Busia), Mbita (Homabay), and Bongu beach in Migori county,” Maina added, noting that these stations will be equipped with fast rescue boats.
The Authority will also launch a new Maritime Safety Information System, which will provide real-time weather and hazard alerts to fishermen and transporters. “Our statistics show that most of the accidents are caused by adverse weather,” Maina explained, underscoring the importance of the new system.
As part of its broader efforts, the Authority aims to train over 17,000 personnel, ensuring that within three years, individuals cannot operate boats on Lake Victoria without the necessary certification. “We are targeting 15,000 people to train as coxswains during the period,” Maina concluded.
Franklin Onyango of Bandari Maritime Academy confirmed the institution’s readiness to train and certify selected participants, offering internationally recognized training. Meanwhile, Siaya County Beach Management Unit Coordinator, Willis Ochieng, announced plans for additional satellite rescue centers at Usenge and Luanda Kotieno to complement KMA centers, ensuring a fair recruitment process through the BMU network.
