Turkana County is losing millions of shillings in own-source revenue because Lake Turkana is not being fully exploited deputy Governor Dr John Erus has said.

Speaking in Lodwar at a stakeholders’ forum supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), Dr Erus said current approaches cannot unlock the lake’s potential because sustainable, locally led solutions have not been mainstreamed.

“Despite the huge potential of Lake Turkana, the facility remains under-utilized. We are concerned that current interventions by stakeholders leave out key enablers such as empowering BMUs, introduction of fish value chain courses at Kalokol and Kataboi VTCs and registration of fishing vessels for protection and smooth operations,” he said.

He said the lake will remain under-utilized until partners empower Beach Management Units (BMUs), build local skills through vocational training and comply fully with vessel registration requirements.

“The problem of the lake is not the problem of fish,” he said, adding that studies since the early 1990s have confirmed the lake’s potential in both the quality and quantity of fish.

Dr Erus said planned county and national government interventions, including modern fish markets and a Lake Turkana transport system with a ferry and links to Marsabit, will only be meaningful if fishermen are ready to take full advantage of the infrastructure.

Failure to unlock the value chain, he said, would deny the county revenue and slow economic prospects for fisher folk from Mugur to Todonyang.

He asked sector players to work closely with the Directorate of Partnerships so that interventions are coordinated and contribute to empowering BMUs, introducing fish value chain programmes at Kataboi and Kalokol, and ensuring every fishing vessel is registered and protected.

WFP representative Claudia Ah Poe said the agency supported the forum to give partners a platform to network and plan coordinated action.

She said the lake region, together with the arable land in Katilu and parts of Turkana East, could help Turkana become food secure, and that the forum had produced practical solutions for women and youth whose livelihoods depend on the lake.

Turkana Central Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Kipkorir urged stakeholders to mainstream child protection in all activities to keep minors from being used as cheap labour.

“Just like any other value chain, we have realised that some of the children are not going to school because they are participating in fishing activities. We have directed Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs and village elders to report such cases for immediate action,” he said.

Lake Turkana Association of BMUs chairperson Charles Nakoel said many members do not know which partners are operating or what projects they run. He urged stakeholders to use BMUs as the entry point to fishing communities, through the county government, as the regulations provide.

The forum brought together the DCA-led SPREAD project, GIZ, FAO, UNESCO, Kilimobiz and SAPCONE, alongside government agencies including KWS, the Kenya Maritime Authority and KEMFRI.

By Peter Gitonga