Kisumu fisheries plan targets 250,000 jobs for women, youth under AfCFTA

Stakeholders in the fisheries sector gathered in Kisumu County on Monday to advance a regional initiative to transform fish trade across Africa, with a strong focus on women and youth empowerment, inclusive market access, and the expansion of intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking during the engagement, Rachel Ajambo, Country Team Leader at Kilimo Trust Uganda and lead for the Women and Youth Economic Empowerment in Fisheries through Inclusive Market Access (WYEFIMA) programme, said the initiative is implemented across seven African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Zambia, among others.

Ajambo said the five-year programme, running from 2024 to 2029, is anchored on three key objectives: increasing intra-African and intra-regional trade in fish and fish products, improving competitiveness in the fish input sector, and activating AfCFTA mechanisms to enable cross-border trade across regional economic blocs.

“We are looking at fish from East Africa being traded in West Africa under ECOWAS, and within COMESA countries. That is why Zambia and Nigeria are part of the intervention areas,” she said.

Ajambo noted that fish has been identified as one of Africa’s strongest-performing commodities, with a continental market size estimated at $22 billion in 2024, and projected to double by 2030 due to rising consumption across Africa.

“The main aim is inclusive trade that provides economic opportunities for women and youth. We are targeting 250,420 job opportunities for women and young people,” she said.

She added that although men dominate infrastructure and capital-heavy segments of the sector, women and youth remain active but largely concentrated in low-value areas of the value chain.

“This programme is about ensuring women and youth are recognised, but most importantly supported to move into higher value segments and also bring others into the chain,” Ajambo said.

She further pointed to Kenya’s growing blue economy investments, noting increased government focus on aquaculture development and fisheries infrastructure, including a reported Sh32 billion investment plan aimed at expanding production and trade capacity.

“This is all geared towards ensuring there is sufficient fish for local consumption and surplus for regional and international trade,” she said.

Also speaking, Charles Ogwang, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Fisheries Marketing Authority, said the institution, established under an Act of Parliament, plays a central role in supporting competitive fish marketing in both local and international markets.

“Our mandate is to support implementation of fish marketing strategies and coordinate all stakeholders involved in the fish trade so that standards are met and the country earns better returns,” Ogwang said.

He explained that the authority also supports monitoring of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities while working closely with the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries, county governments, and the Kenya Fisheries Service.

“We work together to ensure sustainable fish stocks through conservation and management, while also ensuring compliance with international market standards such as those required by the EU and other destinations,” he said.

Ogwang added that the work involves inspections, licensing of fishermen, capacity building, and ensuring compliance with requirements on fish size, handling, packaging, and residue limits demanded by different markets.

In Turkana County, fisheries officials outlined ongoing interventions aimed at improving infrastructure and strengthening fishing communities around Lake Turkana.

Speaking on behalf of the Director of Fisheries in Turkana County Government, Assistant Director Kennedy Opiyo said the government has prioritised upgrading landing sites across Turkana, Samburu, and Marsabit counties.

“Lake Turkana is the largest water body in Kenya, and we are improving landing sites and developing infrastructure to ensure fishermen get better value for their fish,” Opiyo said.

He added that modern fish markets are being constructed in the county, while aquaculture facilities are also being developed to reduce post-harvest losses and improve value addition.

On cross-border fishing challenges, Opiyo said Beach Management Units (BMUs) are being strengthened through capacity building to ensure proper fishing practices and the use of appropriate gear.

He further noted that Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ethiopia in 2024 to support joint management of the transboundary lake for sustainable utilisation.

“This agreement brings stakeholders from both Kenya and Ethiopia together to ensure sustainable fishing and reduce conflicts,” he said.

Opiyo also said the forum provided an opportunity to strengthen trade linkages between regions such as Turkana and Busia, and to engage business actors on improving fisheries trade.

Andrew Kasera, Senior Programme Officer at Kilimo Trust, said a market characterisation study revealed that although fisheries is a multi-billion-dollar sector, women and youth are largely concentrated in the lower levels of the value chain.

“Many are engaged in basic activities like scaling and gutting fish, yet the higher value lies in processing, trade, and export,” Kasera said.

He explained that the programme is now focusing on institutional strengthening of women and youth by organising them into SMEs, building their capacity, and linking them to markets.

“We are registering them, forming SMEs, and supporting market linkages so they can access opportunities in higher value segments of the chain,” he said.

Kasera added that the programme is being implemented in Busia, Turkana, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, and coastal regions, covering both inland and marine fisheries.

Fishermen and fish feed producers on the same have called for sustained investment in training, market access, and value addition to strengthen livelihoods and expand opportunities within the fisheries sector.

Speaking during a fisheries stakeholders’ engagement in Kisumu, Charles Ekai, a fisherman from Lake Turkana, said training programmes had transformed his work from small-scale fishing into a cross-border business dealing in fish trade across Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda.

“I used to do this work alone, but after various trainings, I advanced into buying and selling fish across borders, including Congo, Tanzania and Uganda. With my business, I cannot complain because we are now fetching better returns,” Ekai said.

He noted that access to fishing licences has also improved compared to the past, when fishermen faced significant bureaucratic challenges. However, he urged stakeholders and organisations to continue supporting training and capacity-building initiatives for fishing communities.

“My appeal is for organisations to continue supporting projects and training that educate fishermen. We should also not limit ourselves to fishing alone; there is more beyond what meets the eye,” he added.

On her part, Matilda Amoro, the owner of Great Lakes Feeds Limited, a company that produces fish feeds for farmers, said ongoing initiatives have improved knowledge and strengthened fish production systems.

“In our work, we manufacture fish feeds using naturally available materials and sell them to farmers at affordable prices. Through this programme, we have gained more knowledge that is helping us improve production and better support fish farmers,” she said.