Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development Project

Today at the , we were honoured to host the Deputy President, H.E. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, and the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, H.E. Hassan Ali Joho, at the KEMFSED exhibition stand.

They were welcomed by KEMFSED National Project Coordinator Patrick Kiara and interacted with community representatives showcasing projects implemented through KEMFSED grants.

To date, KEMFSED has funded 1,263 community projects worth Ksh3.37 billion across Kenya’s coastal counties, supporting livelihoods and strengthening coastal community resilience.

Day 1 of : Among the visitors to the KEMFSED stand, was the Senegalese delegation. They were welcomes by Deputy Project Coordinator Susan Otieno and had the opportunity to interact with community members and learn about their project to promote environmental conservation and enhance livelihoods. KEMFSED is showcasing community initiatives from all five coastal counties.

After nearly two weeks of field visits and progress review meetings, the World Bank Implementation Support Mission to KEMFSED today concluded with a wrap-up meeting in Mombasa bringing together the full project team from the national office and the five coastal counties. The meeting was also attended by County Executive Committee Members and Chief Officers from the coastal counties.
The KEMFSED team, led by National Project Coordinator Patrick Kiara and Deputy National Project Coordinator Susan Otieno, presented an update on the project’s implementation progress and key achievements.
World Bank Task Team Leader Ben Miranga commended the team for the strong progress made, noting that the project remains well on track to achieve its targets. The focus now shifts to consolidating the gains, completing the remaining activities and preparing for project closure later this year.
The team is scheduled to brief Blue Economy and Fisheries Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi tomorrow.

Matondoni in Lamu is one of the country’s leading producers of . But for years, fishers lost a significant share of their catch before it could be properly dried and preserved for sale. A KEMFSED grant to Matondoni Tarazak is transforming livelihoods. The group’s new solar dryer allows fishers to dry 50kg of prawns in 5 hours, earning about Ksh 100,000 from each batch. The facility also processes other fish and mangoes to diversify local income. Lamu, Kenya See less

The World Bank Implementation Support Mission to KEMFSED Project continued today, with project teams presenting progress reports on interventions aimed at strengthening fisheries governance.
The first session focused on efforts to enhance co-management of nearshore fisheries. It was jointly presented with County Directors of Fisheries from the five coastal counties, which are leading implementation of plans for Joint Co-Management Areas (JCMAs) established with KEMFSED support.
Other sessions covered Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS), priority fisheries stock assessments, development of the national Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS), efforts to increase mariculture production, and the process to develop Kenya's Marine Spatial Plan (MSP).
The Mission continues tomorrow, when counties will present progress and achievements under the project’s Component 2, which focuses on empowering coastal communities through enhanced livelihoods.

Today, the KEMFSED team supporting the implementation of co-management activities, together with County Directors of Fisheries from the five coastal counties, held a progress review meeting as part of the ongoing World Bank Implementation Support Mission.

The meeting was chaired by KEMFSED Deputy National Project Coordinator, who noted the impressive achievements realized through collaboration with the counties and Beach Management Units in rolling out various interventions under the JCMAs. These include advancing planned fisheries closures, promoting mangrove and coral conservation, and strengthening BMU operations.
World Bank Consultant Jason Rubens indicated that the project was well on track to achieve its objectives in management of the nearshore fisheries.