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Joho: We didn't spend Sh1.6bn to count fish only, we did more

Joho assured Kenyans that the ministry is prepared to provide a detailed report on how the funds were used

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by CELINE MOKEIRA

News03 October 2024 - 18:53
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In Summary


  • Joho further explained that failure to conduct such assessments could endanger species due to a lack of data on how fishing affects the ecosystem.

  • The Mining CS urged Kenyans to support the ministry’s efforts and not to be distracted by misinformation.




Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho has dismissed claims that his ministry used Sh1.6 billion to count fish across the country.

Speaking on Thursday, during a briefing at the Works Building, Nairobi, the CS sought to clarify the controversy, which was heightened following allegations that the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs spent a hefty sum during the last financial year.

“The money was not for counting fish but for stock assessment, which includes water patterns, and migration trends, among others, which requires thorough scientific analysis,” Joho said.

“What you didn’t understand, or what we need to break down, is what stock assessment really means. When people go out there, we look at the entire ecosystem of the ocean, the trends, the environmental issues, the breeding trends, the migration trends, because they help."

Joho further explained that failure to conduct such assessments could endanger species due to a lack of data on how fishing affects the ecosystem.

Documents presented on September 11, 2024, before the parliamentary committee chaired by Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen, showed that a total of Sh3.6 billion had been allocated to the ministry for a three-year fish stock assessment programme in the Indian Ocean.

The first phase of the programme, which started on July 1, 2023, and concluded on June 30, 2024, cost Sh1.6 billion, sparking widespread public debate.

Addressing concerns, Joho criticised the misconceptions spread on social media, urging the public to understand the broader implications of the blue economy and stressing that Kenya’s future economic growth is linked to a well-managed blue economy.

“If you want us to thrive as a ministry, as a country, where this opportunity becomes our next economic frontier, we have to invest in it. What you should be asking is, show us the reports of the work that has been done. And we give you the detail to it,” Joho said.

He assured the public that the ministry is prepared to provide detailed reports to explain how the funds were used, adding that the exercise was vital for sustainable fishing and ensuring Kenya’s resources were not exploited by neighbouring countries.


“If anybody attempts to say we should never do stock assessment, you are simply telling us, allow our neighbouring countries to benefit from our very basic goals,” Joho said.

The Mining CS urged Kenyans to support the ministry’s efforts and not to be distracted by misinformation.

“For me, as a CS, I'll make the right decision that is in the interest of the people. We will not be derailed. We will be focused on what needs to be done. We ask that you support us in making the right and good decisions that are progressive,” Joho said.

 

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