The ongoing Muhuru Bay Pier Development and Rehabilitation Project is already changing the face and fortunes in the town and its surroundings.
President William Ruto launched the project in Muhuru-Bay, a border town in Nyatike Constituency, Migori County, in May 2025.
The project is managed by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) – with works currently at an advanced stage.
Residents say the project will open up the area and improve trade.
According to Daniel Odendo, a fisherman and resident of the area, the development could not have come at a better time.
“The pier once completed will create job opportunities for people in this area; both casual and permanent. This will help improve our livelihood, especially with the dwindling catch,” notes Odendo, who hails from Nyang’wina beach in Muhuru ward.
Muhuru Bay sits at the far of the Kenyan map – down south – bordering Tanzania at the furthest end of Lake Victoria.
The Muhuru Bay Pier Development and Rehabilitation Project is tapping into the immense Blue Economy potential of the Lake Victoria shoreline through strategic infrastructure to expand trade, strengthen fisheries and stimulate economic growth in Nyatike and the wider Migori County.
“The pier will connect our town with the rest of the world; linking Kenya with her neighbours like Tanzania. Traders from neighbopuring countries will be able to bring goods we don’t have, at reduced prices, even as we move our goods to Kisumu and other towns,” says Ochieng Peter Otieno, a resident of Muhuru.
Moses Osiaga, a businessman in Muhuru, shared Otieno’s sentiments.
“The pier will promote business. I understand that hotels and restaurants will come up, warehouses, residential houses, schools, hospitals and garages. This means more jobs for our children and even other Kenyans living in Muhuru Bay,” says Osiaga.
At the moment, revetment works are progressing through the installation of a steel retaining barrier in the lake and the placement and compaction of rock fill to form and stabilise the pier approach while protecting the shoreline against wave action.
Key facilities include a 50-by-30-metre reinforced concrete jetty for larger vessels, cold storage for fish preservation, an administrative block for port and customs operations and perimeter security infrastructure.
Once operational, the port will reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access for fishermen and strengthen lake transport links with Homa Bay, Sori and Kisumu.
According to Daniel Maebo Msethi, the Chairman of the Bodaboda Muhuru Association, the town is already changing its face with many landing jobs at the site.
“Our town has in the past been left behind. No president had ever set foot in Muhuru bay, until this administration came into office, and brought development after years of marginalisation. Ruto has been here three or four times already.
The project will complement the Masara–Muhuru Bay road upgrade, creating new opportunities for trade and investment.
Effective maritime security will be critical to the port's long-term success, with the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration working alongside relevant agencies to safeguard infrastructure, regulate cross-border movement and secure lake transport routes, creating a safe environment for trade and regional connectivity.