President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday made an impromptu visit to Sh3 billion Kisumu Port to inspect construction works at the facility ahead of its official launch in the coming weeks.

The visit, which caught the staff and security at the port by surprise, saw President Kenyatta land in three military choppers leaving residents of the lakeside city in awe and ecstasy.


Immediately on landing, security was on high alert and secured the port area blocking all civilians and journalists from accessing the venue amid speculation on his sudden trip.


Kisumu County national government administrators and security officials were caught by surprise, adding to the list yet another surprise trip to the port by the Head of State.

Information shared on State House social media pages showed Uhuru touring the recently launched Kisumu Shipyard to inspect the building of another ship christened MV Uhuru II.


His trip to the port, specifically the shipyard, point at the president’s commitment to projects that will revamp Lake Victoria’s maritime trade after decades of neglect and hyacinth menace.

Uhuru flew to inspect the Sh1 billion Mbita Causeway, which his administration built in Homa Bay County to ease movement of people and goods from Rusinga Island to the mainland.


He concluded his tour at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot (ICD), where he witnessed the trans-shipment of container cargo from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Meter Gauge Railway (MGR).


The Naivasha ICD is among Uhuru’s key infrastructure projects under the Big Four Agenda that will handle mostly transit cargo to the Great Lakes Region to reduce congestion at the Port of Mombasa, the Nairobi ICD and on Kenyan roads.