By Chris Mahandara
The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and the Council of Governors (CoG) have agreed to jointly petition Parliament to withdraw the Fisheries Management and Development Bill (2023).
This follows intense pressure from the Lake Victoria Aquaculture Association (LVA) and stakeholders in the blue economy sector who termed the bill deeply flawed.
The decision was reached following a high-level presentation made yesterday by the Lake Victoria Aquaculture (LVA) Association at a sitting of the CoG Blue Economy Committee in Mombasa, chaired by Governor Paul Otuoma which was also attended by Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Ali Hassan Joho.
In a statement to the media, LVA Board Secretary Pete Ondeng who appeared before the committee, lauded the move saying it will pave the way for an inclusive review process to address the contentious issues in the Bill.
The decision, he said, follows months of coordinated advocacy by LVA, a membership body launched in 2024 to serve as a unified platform for the country’s aquaculture stakeholders.
“In early April, the LVA Association convened a high-level roundtable in Kisumu, bringing together over 40 experts and stakeholders to review the proposed Bill. The participants unanimously resolved that the Fisheries Management and Development Bill (2023) is deeply flawed and must be withdrawn,” he said.
On April 7, he said, LVA formally wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly, urging Parliament to suspend the Bill and launch a comprehensive and inclusive legislative review.
The Bill, he said, was a replication of the outdated 2016 provisions that were developed without a guiding national aquaculture policy and failed to recognize aquaculture as a distinct economic sector.
He added that the Bill had insufficient provisions for devolution and was developed without stakeholder participation.
The Bill which is on the floor of the house, he said threatened to stifle innovation, investment, and inclusive growth in aquaculture if passed in its current form.
Ondeng said the Ministry and CoG have committed to the formation of a Joint Working Group that will oversee a new, transparent, and collaborative drafting process following which the resulting legislation will be introduced to Parliament for consideration.
“This is a significant breakthrough and a huge step forward for everyone who depends on a thriving and well-governed fisheries sector. We commend the Ministry and the CoG for listening to stakeholders and for showing leadership in charting a better path forward,” he said.
LVA Association, he said, will continue to work closely with stakeholders, government institutions, and development partners to ensure the new legislative process is inclusive, evidence-based, and anchored in Kenya’s constitutional and development priorities.
