Presidential order on repossession of fish landing sites ignored

Kenyans are known the world over for their love of ‘nyama choma’but dietary and health concerns have altered preferences in recent years. (Standard)

Kenyans are known the world over for their love of ‘nyama choma’ but dietary and health concerns have altered preferences in recent years so that more and more are enjoying the delights of fish. However, the local demand cannot be met by local produce so chances are that tasty tilapia you enjoy has come from Chinese or Vietnamese waters.

Most recent statistics from FAO reveal that in 2015 the total catch of fish in Kenya sourced from the Indian Ocean was a mere 8,496 tonnes. Compare that with Morocco fishermen who landed 1.35 million tons in the same year or countries such as South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Senegal, Mauritania and Nigeria that each lands around half a million tonnes of fish from the sea per annum.

The FAO argue that Kenya could catch up to 300,000 tonnes of sea fish each year or thirty times more than the current figure. Which begs the question as to what is halting or killing the marine fishing industry in Kenya? Currently, 93 per cent of Kenya’s total haul is freshwater fish which leaves a mere 7 per cent coming from the Ocean. Lack of investment and negligence by local and national governments are contributing factors. However, a most important consideration that many may overlook is that fishermen have lost their traditional landing sites and as a result have nowhere to land their haul. They are then forced out of business.

In 2015, research that we did at Haki Yetu entitled ‘Nowhere to Land’ showed that there were 51 fish landing sites in Mombasa County but only 14 of them had been gazetted. Not a single one had been granted a Title Deed. Consequently, many were grabbed by private developers and businesses as well as some government agencies. The fishing industry is supervised and managed by Beach Management Units (BMUs) but despite their best efforts, they continued to lose their landing sites. It appeared that no one cared about their plight despite the fact that it provides employment for up to 3,000 families in Mombasa.

Last November, however, President Kenyatta came to the Coast to launch the Kenya Coast Guard Service and addressed the matter. He ordered the National Land Commission and the Fisheries Department to repossess all the landing sites in Mombasa and elsewhere and to do so before April 2019. His presidential order demanded that not only would the sites be repossessed but secured. He sternly warned, ‘We will not wait for you to give them back. We will recover them. In our waters was the wealth for every Kenya but we lost it because we focused on benefiting ourselves and forgot about the people’. The fisher folk waited in hope but alas the directive has been completely ignored.

Last week, several hundred members of BMUs came together at Kenyatta Beach BMU to send a message to the younger Kenyatta that Presidential directives changed nothing as life has got worse since his public address to the nation’s press. Our Haki Yetu staff revealed that only five of the fifty-one sites have been mapped for repossessing and titling and the NLC have not lifted a finger to evict a single illegal occupant. Land grabbers have friends in high places and like the ongoing war on corruption Presidential threats are dismissed and derided. No one takes them seriously it would appear as not a single landing site has been granted a Title Deed.

When Executive directives are ignored then the one who utters them is made to appear like a lame duck. It is business as usual and plunder and pillage continue unabated. Of course, Mr Kenyatta still has an opportunity to show solidarity with poor fishermen and promote the much talked about blue economy. The question is where their plight ranks in terms of priority for him.

I am frequently asked my opinion on the Huduma Namba exercise. I have only one observation to make and that is to recall that this time last year CS Fred Matiang’i ordered all non-citizens to report to Nyayo House to have their work permits verified.

Everyone from Ambassadors to humble missionaries spent long hours queuing in the hot sun. Thereafter everyone was assured that within one month they would receive a new generation identity card. One year later, we are still waiting and wondering what was the benefit of such an exercise. Roll on April 2020 will be any clearer about the value of waiting in line for Huduma Namba? Time will tell.

- [email protected] @GabrielDolan1

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