Kakamega: Kakamega fresh market at Masingo area in Kakamega town is set to start operations soon. The acting County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Mophat Mandela, has stated that the County is considering three models from which one will be picked after stakeholder engagements to run the facility.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mandela mentioned that the County is evaluating the possibility of running the facility as a county entity, leasing it out to an organized group of fish farmers, or managing it under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). Fish mongers operating outside the market have raised concerns about the facility’s dormancy since its inauguration by the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho last January. Despite their fears, Mandela assured that plans were underway to operationalize the market, emphasizing ongoing stakeholder engagements to determine the most suitable management model.
Kakamega County is among 15 counties that have been allocated a total of Sh128 million worth of grants to fish farmers by the National Government, in collaboration with the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), under phase one. These grants are intended to benefit Smallholder Aquaculture Groups (SAGs), including women and youth groups, Aquaculture Support Enterprises (ASEs), and Aquaculture Field Schools (AFSs).
Joho, during the project’s launch earlier this year, issued Sh18 million in grants to benefit 2,944 fish farmers in Kakamega County. Mandela highlighted that the facility would serve as an aggregation hub for farmers, aid in fish preservation, streamline markets, and promote healthy eating habits. The county, with ABDP’s support, has made significant investments in fish farming through the provision of fingerlings, fish feeds, and the construction of fish ponds.