Head of Oceans and Blue Economy in the Office of the President Eric Aligula has called for deeper involvement of county governments in developing Kenya’s maritime economy, saying devolution is key to unlocking value from fisheries, shipbuilding and ocean resources.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Monday, Aligula said counties must move beyond basic support roles and actively invest in infrastructure such as landing sites, ice plants and fish processing facilities to strengthen the value chain.
He noted that without such systems, fish and other marine resources continue to be lost through post-harvest waste and limited market access.
“There is a big collaboration between the National Government and the county governments in ensuring we are able to exploit this value chain,” he said, adding that counties should help “organize the fisherfolk into viable cooperatives that would allow them to receive the support that is needed.”
Aligula emphasized that investment in the sector must be structured to attract both local and foreign capital, including through blue finance instruments such as bonds and debt-for-nature swaps.
He said Kenya’s maritime assets remain underutilized despite strong demand from global markets already operating in its waters.
“We have a resource in front of us that we are not exploiting,” he said, pointing to distant water fishing nations operating in Kenya’s exclusive economic zone and capturing significant value from marine resources.
He argued that stronger governance of maritime territory would allow Kenya to better regulate fishing activity, collect revenue and build domestic processing capacity.
“If we do not have the capacity to govern that resource, anybody will come in,” he warned.
Aligula also highlighted opportunities for counties to invest directly in larger facilities, including fish processing plants and training academies for seafarers, saying this would help transition small-scale fisherfolk into structured enterprises and SMEs over time.
“If I want to invest in a 50,000 metric ton processing facility, the county could be helped to structure that investment,” he said, adding that counties already hold key assets such as land and regulatory frameworks needed to attract investors.
He further pointed to emerging opportunities in shipbuilding and repair, citing facilities such as the Kenya Shipyard Limited and Southern Engineering Company in Mombasa as critical foundations for a growing maritime industry.
On climate resilience, Aligula said oceans play a vital role in absorbing carbon and called for the development of marine spatial plans to guide sustainable use of ocean resources.
“The ocean is a very important instrument in absorbing carbon components,” he said, adding that protecting marine ecosystems would ensure long-term food security and economic sustainability.
He concluded that Africa’s ability to benefit from the blue economy will depend on stronger governance, coordinated investment and long-term capacity building across both national and county governments.