Lake users on Lake Victoria are being targeted in an upcoming maritime college in Kisumu in bid to curb rampant accidents.
Boat owners and operators, fishermen and water travellers are some of the target of maritime education and training expected to kick off in January after Kisumu Maritime Centre got training nod from Education ministry and Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA).
The targeted parties will be trained on basic water safety and survival techniques to eliminate accidents and fatalities arising out of lack of such skills.
The college situated at the Korando peninsula, 15 kilometres away from Kisumu City has been approved to start artisan certificate training.
This comes at a time when concerns have been raised over the high number of fatalities on lakes across the country as a result of unskilled users.
The center founded by a former naval chief engineer on renowned MV Uhuru, Vitalis Leo, has received backing from beach management units from the five counties that that border the lake.
BMU chairs from Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya, Migori and Busia have termed the initiative timely, saying it will save lives of many water goers.
“Such training will save several lives that are lost on the lake because fishermen and other users have limited survival skills,” Kisumu beach unit chair, Mr John Ouya
These sentiments were shared by his counterparts who want the BMUs incorporated.
The past decade has seen hundreds of people lose their lives when their boats capsized and several others left stranded ashore for days when marooned by the water hyacinth
Others stakeholders eyed with the maritime school are government and NGO services aimed at reaching those living around the major water bodies. These include health and fisheries ministries and USAID which have placed boats on the lake for emergency services.
The trainees will also learn boat maintenance and repair to avert accidents arising from derelict vessels. Accidents related to run-down vessels have been particularly high on Lake Victoria, which has over 30,000 boats according to statistics