The Kenya Defence Forces are set to hand over the Sh2.4 billion MV Uhuru II to the Kenya Railways Corporation in Kisumu on Thursday. Construction of the vessel, which began in June 2021 under Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL), a state-owned entity, was commissioned by President William Ruto in October 2023 for operations on Lake Victoria.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, along with her Roads counterpart Davis Chirchir, will preside over the handover ceremony at the KSL facility located along the shores of Lake Victoria.
The 100-meter-long MV Uhuru II was built to complement MV Uhuru I and address the increasing demand for goods transportation within the Lake Victoria region. This development positions Kenya as a hub for shipbuilding and repair in the East African region.
The vessel's transfer is expected to create numerous job opportunities for locals at the port, as it will facilitate the transport of goods to neighboring countries, including Uganda and Tanzania.
The construction of MV Uhuru II highlights Kenya Shipyards' capability to build, repair, and maintain vessels for both local and regional markets. This revival of the country's maritime transport and logistics sector aligns with the Kenya Kwanza government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
MV Uhuru I, originally built in 1965, was successfully rehabilitated by the Kenya Defence Forces in 2019 and has a cargo capacity of 1,260 tonnes.
MV Uhuru II, capable of transporting 1,063 metric tonnes of cargo, is optimized for the transportation of petroleum oil products as well as cereals, fertilisers, sugar, and seeds.