[Source: Business Daily, by Samuel Baya]
Father Gabriel Dolan, the executive director of Haki Yetu — an NGO — says the delay by State officials in implementing an order by President Uhuru Kenyatta has hit the fishing industry in Mombasa and surrounding areas hard.
“The President was very clear about reclaiming these sites. Unfortunately, they are still being held by grabbers, making it difficult for fishermen to do their work,” Fr Dolan said.
A 2015 Haki Yetu study titled Nowhere to Land showed that there are 50 landing sites in Mombasa, with 14 having been gazetted but yet to be formally recognised.
“None of the sites gazetted or otherwise had a title deed or any form of documents and this resulted in grabbing by parastatals, hotel owners and opportunists who had encroached on the plots and evicted the poor fishermen,” Fr Dolan said.
He added that most of the problems facing fishermen — from Lunga Lunga in Kwale County to Kiunga in Lamu — are similar.
Wavuvi Association of Kenya has registered 20,000 fishermen on the Kenyan Coast, with more than 50,000 households relying on the business.
Mr Ruwa Mwangolo, a fisherman at Tudor/Shimanzi beach management unit, says the site has also been grabbed.
Mombasa County Beach Management Units chairperson Mercy Wasai says fishermen recently found out that only five landing sites have been given to them by the government.
Ms Wasai added that investigations by her unit and other organisations last year revealed that the county has 49 landing sites.
Haki Yetu official Furaha Charo said fishermen were not involved in identifying the five sites.
“We have written to the National Land Commission and the Fisheries Department but have not received any response,” Mr Charo said.
Wavuvi Association of Kenya chairman Hamid Mohamed said grabbing of landing sites has piled more misery on fishermen.
He said that for the government to realise the gains of the blue economy, the President’s order must be implemented.
[Full article: Business Daily, by Samuel Baya]
