Was This Ship Built in Kenya and Launched on Lake Victoria?

September 4, 2026

4 min read

By Edwin Omariba Tumbo.

On June 29, 2026, a user on X, ONJOLO KENYA, shared a post alleging a ship named MV NGEGE was launched into Lake Victoria as a key step forward in Kenya’s efforts to provide dependable and affordable water transport. The user also said Kenya Shipyards Limited built the ship locally. The post got more than 140K views and was reposted more than 179 times. Below is the screengrab of the post.

**A screenshot of the post by ONJOLO KENYA.**

Background

President William Ruto directed security agencies to buy locally made shoes to promote Kenya’s manufacturing industry. Then, around June 30 to July 1, 2026, the phrase “Made in Kenya” was trending on X. The phrase was strategically used as a campaign slogan to promote the government’s initiative “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya,” which seeks to promote the purchase and consumption of locally produced goods and services.

Kenya Shipyards Limited (KSL) is a state Company under the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Vide Executive Order CAB/GEN.3/1/1 (60) dated August 14, 2020, the National Security Council approved the establishment of Kenya Shipyards Limited to address operational requirements of the Kenya Navy and MDAs and utilize the excess capacity to generate revenue for the Government by tapping into the available local and regional market for construction, repair and maintenance of ships and provision of other maritime services. The first locally assembled ship by Kenya Shipyards Limited is the MV Uhuru II. The company is also constructing a 29-metre shallow-draught vessel in partnership with Karnafuly Ship Builders Limited. The ferry is being built for the Kenya Ports Authority and is set to become Kenya’s first public ferry on Lake Victoria.

Therefore, the phrase “Made in Kenya” appears to be correlated with Kenya Shipyards Limited since the company locally assembled a ship named MV UHURU II, which made its maiden voyage on October 9, 2023.

Verification

A Google reverse image search on the keyframes from the video leads to an Instagram post with a similar video published on April 30, 2026, by mangaloremerijaanofficial with the caption reading, “The Launch of Ship in Mangalore – Hansa Anholt C312.”

A closer examination of the video posted on X reveals a “@shithil_amin” watermark in the lower third. A search for the account leads to an Instagram profile associated with the same username. The watermark identifies SHITHILAMIN as the source of the footage, rather than ONJOLO KENYA. According to Google, SHITHILAMIN is a social media creator and content.

Further research shows that there is no ship named MV Ngege, and Kenya Shipyards Limited has never built a vessel by that name. MV Uhuru II is the first ship built by Kenya Shipyards Limited, while a separate 29-metre shallow-draught vessel is currently under construction. Another notable detail is the flag displayed at the top of the vessel. An Indian flag appears second from the left, with no Kenyan flag visible. Kenya Shipyards Limited has also not published any information about the alleged vessel or its launch on its official social media platforms or other official channels. Likewise, credible media outlets such as Citizen TV Kenya have not reported the claimed launch.

Taken together, these findings indicate that the vessel was not built in Kenya and was not launched on Lake Victoria. The vessel is actually Hansa Anholt (C312), which was launched at the Chowgule Shipyard in India, rather than being MV Uhuru II as claimed.