Uhuru, Raila Make Impromptu Visit to Renovated Kisumu Port

President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on Sunday made a surprise visit to the refurbished Kisumu port.

Kenyatta is reported to have flown from State House, Nairobi in three military helicopters to join Odinga in Kisumu where they inspected the port that was recently renovated at a cost of Sh3 billion.

Journalists and members of the public were barred from accessing the facility during Uhuru’s tour that lasted 40 minutes, according to reports.

The three choppers landed a few meters from the shores of Lake Victoria and Uhuru disembarked from one of them and proceeded to the port.

He was seen walking around the port in the company of Odinga before the two entered the MV Uhuru ferry for some minutes. Also present was Nyanza Regional Commissioner Magi Mutindika.

Less than an hour later, Uhuru boarded the aircraft and took off with reports suggesting he went to Kisumu International Airport from where he would be flown to Mombasa.

His visit came a day after Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho announced the port was ready for official launching by President Kenyatta. 

“This project was meant to be opened a long time ago, but we have to blame Covid-19,” Kibicho said on Friday.

Kisumu port resumed oil exports to Uganda in December last year, and the ongoing refurbishment of the old meter-gauge railway line is expected to make it a business hub for Kenya, Uganda, and other neighboring landlocked countries.

The port, which was dormant for over 20 years, is poised to spur transport business across Lake Victoria.