(Kisumu) – The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, led by Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho, together with the Council of Governors (CoG), has agreed to petition Parliament to withdraw the Fisheries Management and Development Bill (2023). This decision comes after strong opposition from the Lake Victoria Aquaculture Association (LVA) and other blue economy stakeholders, who described the bill as deeply flawed.
The agreement followed a presentation by the LVA to the CoG Blue Economy Committee during a meeting in Mombasa chaired by Governor Paul Otuoma. The meeting was attended by officials from the ministry and county governments involved in fisheries and blue economy sectors.
LVA Board Secretary Pete Ondeng praised the move, saying it opens the way for a more inclusive review of the bill. The LVA, which was launched in 2024 to unify Kenya’s aquaculture stakeholders, has been actively advocating for changes over several months.
In early April, the LVA held a high-level roundtable in Kisumu with over 40 experts and stakeholders to review the bill. The group unanimously agreed that the Fisheries Management and Development Bill (2023) was flawed and needed to be withdrawn.
On April 7, the LVA formally wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly urging suspension of the bill and calling for a comprehensive and inclusive legislative review.
The LVA criticized the bill as largely a copy of the outdated 2016 fisheries provisions. It argued that the bill was drafted without a guiding national aquaculture policy and did not recognize aquaculture as a separate economic sector. The bill also lacked adequate provisions for devolution and was created without meaningful stakeholder engagement.
According to Ondeng, if passed in its current form, the bill would limit innovation, investment, and inclusive growth in Kenya’s aquaculture sector.
The ministry and the Council of Governors have committed to establishing a Joint Working Group to lead a new, transparent, and collaborative drafting process. The new legislation resulting from this process will then be presented to Parliament for consideration.
Ondeng described the agreement as a major step forward for those dependent on a well-managed fisheries sector. He commended the ministry and county governments for their leadership and willingness to listen to stakeholders.
The LVA will continue collaborating with government institutions, development partners, and stakeholders to ensure that the new legislative process is inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with Kenya’s constitutional and development goals.