LODWAR — Key stakeholders in Turkana’s fisheries sector met in Lodwar on Thursday to establish a dedicated coordination forum aimed at boosting the county’s blue economy.
The new coalition brings together county officials, national state departments, research institutes, and community representatives, including the Turkana County Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries, the Kenya Fisheries Service, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kerio Valley Development Authority, the Kenya Maritime Authority, the Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute, and the County Beach Management Unit Network. The group agreed to hold quarterly meetings and immediately created a digital network to streamline operational communication.
County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries Dr. Michael Eregae welcomed the initiative as a practical step toward empowering local fisherfolk. He directed department representatives to fast-track the forum’s setup, noting that a unified coordination strategy is necessary to identify operational gaps and build an inclusive sector.
Supporting this vision, Chief Officer Peter Ikaru emphasized that strong inter-agency partnerships will improve resource management, build landing infrastructure, and elevate fish processing standards so local catches can meet both domestic and international export market demands.
Significant physical and financial investments are scheduled to upgrade the region’s fisheries supply chain. Assistant Director of Fisheries Kennedy Opiyo revealed plans to construct modern fish landing sites in Kalokol and Loiyangalani to reduce post-harvest losses.
Additionally, Turkana County is set to benefit from amendments to the Public Finance Management Act, which will establish an Artisanal Fish Development Fund to provide credit facilities, strengthen fish processing cooperatives, and finance training programs for local fisherfolk.
To improve water transport and safety across Lake Turkana, Kenya Maritime Authority representative Edwin Were outlined plans to introduce two new ferries and build matching jetty landing sites connecting Kalokol and Loiyangalani.
KMA is also establishing a main emergency response center in Kalokol equipped with speedboats, a water ambulance, and aerial drone surveillance. To ensure these safety measures succeed, KMA will collaborate with telecom providers to expand cellular network coverage across dead zones, while launching a digital Maritime Information System to broadcast real-time weather updates directly to fishermen.
Moving forward, the coordination forum will focus on resolving long-standing operational and environmental threats across Lake Turkana. Upcoming quarterly sessions will specifically tackle illegal fishing practices, the harvesting of undersized fish, joint fisheries surveys, lake insecurity, and accident prevention.
The meeting was attended by key sector leaders, including John Bett, Edward Wanyama, and Paul Kebo from the County Fisheries Department, William Tonui (KWS), Erick Opallo (KeFS), Maurice Obiero and Casiares Olilo (KMFRI), Stephen Ekuwom (BMU Network), and Mark Loupe from Fisheries Administration.
