President Uhuru Kenyatta will return to Kisumu barely a month after making an impromptu stopover to inspect the construction of the port.
Uhuru will be joined by opposition leader among other several leaders supporting the handshake when unveiling the project that cost taxpayers Sh3 billion.
Kenya Ports Authority chairman Daniel Manduku confirmed the launching of Kisumu Port although he did not reveal the exact day for launching.
The KPA managing director Daniel Manduku, however, said he was not aware whether Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Tanzania’s Pombe Magufuli and Felix Tshisekedi of DRC would attend the relaunch.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has been preparing for the relaunch, which is expected to reawaken the once vibrant inland port.
“All is set and the port will start handling cargo in the coming days as we seek to reignite the triangular trade between Kisumu, Jinja in Uganda and Tanzania’s Mwanza Port,” said a KPA source who sought anonymity.
ODM Treasurer Timothy Bosire, in a phone interview on Tuesday, confirmed that the leaders would be in Kisumu on Friday for the launching of the case.
"We need genuine leaders who will launch real projects. For instance, President Uhuru will be launching the Kisumu Port on Friday because he means well for handshake," said Bosire.
Uhuru has visited the port four times this year with the first trip this year coming in January after the funeral of former Youth Fund boss Bruce Odhiambo.
The port will link Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other East Africa countries once it fully becomes operational on Friday.