The East African Community (EAC) has completed maritime infrastructure in Tanzania to enhance safety on Lake Victoria, establishing Mwanza as the regional coordination headquarters. This initiative aims to curb the high number of preventable deaths on the lake, with Caroline Karugu, Kenya’s EAC Principal Secretary, noting that 5,000 lives are lost annually.

• 5,000 lives are lost annually on Lake Victoria, with approximately 50 percent being fishermen.
• The regional coordination headquarters has been established in Mwanza, Tanzania, with satellite centers in Kisumu, Kenya, and Entebbe, Uganda.
• A total of 16 maritime and rescue centers will be distributed along the shoreline: 9 in Uganda, 4 in Kenya, and 3 in Tanzania.
• Funding of Sh 7.8 billion (50 million euros) from the Government of Germany will be used to improve sanitation in the Lake Victoria Basin.