- Lake Victoria BMU Network chairman Tom Guda said fishermen are unrecognised in the recently unveiled cabinet dockets.
- He noted that the sector employs more than 60,000 fishers directly and an estimated 1.2 million people directly and indirectly.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Fishermen have urged President William Ruto to restructure the Ministry of Agriculture and Blue Economy to include fisheries and aquaculture.
They said the fishing industry contributes approximately one per cent of the national GDP and about two per cent of the country’s national export earnings.
Led by National Beach Management Units officials, the fishermen said the sector plays a key contribution and should not be overlooked.
Lake Victoria BMU Network chairman Tom Guda said fishermen are unrecognised in the recently unveiled cabinet dockets.
He spoke during a Lake Victoria BMU network executive committee meeting at Dunga Beach in Kisumu on Tuesday.
The network brings together representatives from the five riparian counties of Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori.
“We would want to have a Ministry of Fisheries or state department of fisheries to help tackle the dwindling fishing and address the plight of fishermen,” Guda said.
He noted that the sector employs more than 60,000 fishers directly and an estimated 1.2 million people directly and indirectly.
“With this, there is no way the sector could have failed to feature in the key ministry of agriculture,” Guda said.
Ruto while unveiling Cabinet Secretaries nominees named Mithika Linturi as the new CS in charge of Agriculture and Blue economy.
Fishermen claimed that failure to include the State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture would undermine the improvement in the fisheries sector. They also demanded that the Permanent Secretary who will be appointed should be directly in charge of fisheries, Blue Economy and Aquaculture.
“We want the PS to be key in championing our interests and deal with matters fisheries right from the production and up to supplies value chain," Guda added.
Apart from employing thousands of Kenyans, he said millions of Kenyans rely on fish as an affordable source of proteins and minerals.
The fisheries sector is a source of food security as it is estimated that Kenya’s marine fishery has the potential to produce 150,000 metric tons to 300,000 metric tonnes of fish annually.
“The blue economy should not be misinterpreted to mean fisheries. In countries such as Ethiopia, it is factored in the transport industry because of its maritime trade,” Guda said.
The BMU officials included Homa Bay BMU chairperson Edward Oremo, Siaya’s Meshack Okuku, John Odhiambo, (Migori), Busia’s Sylvester Kaywa.
Others were Victor Mungu National BMU Treasurer and a host of committee members drawn from the Great Lake region.
The officials further asked Ruto to use his good bilateral relationship with Uganda to safeguard fishermen interests following the rampant arrest of Kenyan fishermen in Lake Victoria.
Oremo said 32 of the 40 Kenyan fishermen who were recently arrested for alleged territorial trespass in Uganda had been released.
However, he said, eight Kenyans were still in various jails in Uganda for failing to raise Sh24,000 fines. “These people are suffering with their families currently struggling to raise the fines in vain as well as feed children,” he said.
With President Ruto committed to ensure a borderless community, the launching pad should be Lake Victoria shared by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya occupies six per cent share of the Lake with about (4,100 km2), Uganda 45 per cent (31,000 km2), and Tanzania 49 per cent.
Oremo and Odhiambo said they want Ruto to end the frequent harassment and arrest of Kenyan fishermen for territorial trespass under his regime.
“We want results from his foreign trips diplomacy and bilateral relationship to create more wealth, jobs for our people and businesses to grow and not arrests," Oremo said.
-Edited by SKanyara