On arrival in Kenya, the expert examined the administrative structure of the Department, in view of the top priority that had been given to problems in this sphere. A quick appraisal of the many problems in fish production and marketing showed that most of them were of a nature frequently encountered in developing fisheries. Given adequate trained staff, with adequate facilities to carry out their work, they could be satisfactorily dealt with at the local level.
The senior staff of the Fisheries Department, at the time of the expert's visit, was as follows:
HEADQUARTERS
Chief Fisheries Officer
Senior Fisheries Development Officer
The senior staff of the Department had been reduced by two posts as a result of a decision of the Economy Commission of 1963. This Commission also had decided on the termination of all work on Lake Victoria. Further setbacks had been suffered by the Department when the Regional Constitution was being implemented at the time of Kenya's gaining of Independence in December, 1963. Under this Constitution, all fisheries work was transferred and all fisheries staff dispersed to the Regions except for the key staff at Headquarters, the Sagana Fish Farm, and the Trout Hatchery. The resignation of eight senior officers of long experience under the Compensation Scheme for expatriate officers had left most stations either vacant or under newly appointed or promoted officers of either very limited experience, education or training. The failure of overall Government expenditure on fisheries to rise to any appreciable extent over the last six years also was attributable to decisions made by the Economy Commission.
Some changes were made in December 1964, when the Regional Constitution was replaced by the new Republican Constitution. Responsibility for fisheries reverted to the Central Government. As a result, the overall planning of fisheries development was simplified, but the problem of inadequate staff remained. A Fisheries Development Plan, which was to be part of the overall Development Plan for the period 1965–1970, made provision for a considerable expansion of fisheries activities in all spheres but did not include proposals for an increase in fisheries staff. As the Plan was about to be cleared with the Government when the expert was assigned to the country, he pointed out the necessity of employing adequate staff, both at the central planning, and field services, levels. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry and the Chief Fisheries Officer concurred and asked the expert to draw up a staff structure which would take account of the expansion program. In collaboration with the Chief Fisheries Officer, the expert drew up proposals along these lines which were incorporated into the Development Plan.
The proposed structure was designed to conform with the estimated marine and fresh water fishing potential which was estimated roughly as equivalent to the present production of Uganda and Aden combined (the expert being fully acquainted with the fisheries establishments in Uganda and Aden). Minimum staff requirements for the next few years, consequently, were estimated to be no less than the present fisheries personnel of these two countries. The proposals were accepted in principle by the Kenya Government, for incorporation in the 1965–1970 Development Plan.
3 F.D.O. - Fisheries Development Officer.
At the time of the expert's arrival in Kenya, the staff situation in the Department had reached a critical state. On Lake Rudolf, the absence of the Fisheries Development Officer (who was on three months' leave) had led to the virtual close-down of the fishery, as there was no staff on the spot capable of taking over his duties. His stores and office were closed. Maintenance of boats and engines, replacement of nets, marketing queries, and other field activities had to wait for his return.
On the coast, there was only one officer left to cover 400 miles of coast and to serve as counterpart to an FAO team of experts undertaking a tuna survey based on Mombasa, because a number of the members of the fisheries staff were attending courses abroad. Since he was the only qualified navigator and the only bilingual technical officer (English/Swahili), his services were in constant demand by the newly arrived experts, both in connection with the survey and for interpretation purposes. Other activities, consequently, had to suffer. Lack of educated and qualified subordinate staff capable of assuming some of the responsibilities for the day-to-day supervision of coastal fisheries made his burden heavier than it might otherwise have been.
On Lake Naivasha, where an important Rift Valley lake fishery is carried on, all Government responsibilities had been accepted, on a voluntary basis, by an Honorary Fish Warden. On Lake Baringo, a livestock officer of the Veterinary Department was supervising the fishery, whilst in other areas missionaries, co-operative officers, agricultural officers, etc., were responsible for fisheries work.
Elsewhere, junior field staff recently promoted to senior posts were having to work without supervision from professional officers. The Department, furthermore, had no qualified fisheries biologist. In the course of the expert's assignment, several recent graduates in fisheries biology as well as fisheries assistants were recruited. No senior staff, however, was available to give them on-the-job training before they were posted out to assume relatively large responsibilities in charge of field stations.
At Headquarters, there was no stenographer, there was a lack of typists, and it was impossible to deal expeditiously with even routine correspondence.
Somebody was also sorely needed to assume part-time librarian duties at Headquarters to classify and arrange reports, literature and maps. The expert and other technical assistance personnel found it difficult to obtain background information on various aspects of the fisheries of Kenya. Even reports of recent origin prepared at considerable expense by local and visiting scientists and others could not be readily located, pointing to the need for the establishment of adequate files. The Fisheries Department was aware of the problem and set aside, therefore, a good library room in a newly added part of the Headquarters facilities. It was also moving part of the library from Sagana, 70 miles from Nairobi, to Headquarters. The expert recommends that a qualified person be employed to arrange the material in an accessible form.
The proposals set out below were already under discussion when the expert arrived in Kenya and had been drawn up by the Fisheries Department. They are an extract from the overall development plan of Kenya which was being prepared for publication at the time of the expert's visit to the country. The expert was able to discuss the proposals with the Fisheries Department and other officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources and of the Ministry of Economic Planning, and to assist on the spot with their detailed formulation. Provided certain conditions with respect to staffing of administrative services at Headquarters and in the field and to market development work are met, the proposals may be capable of being implemented over the forthcoming five-year period. The expert has additional proposals which will be mentioned later in the report. The desirability of implementing these measures to promote fisheries development came to light during the course of his survey.
TABLE VII - Details of Estimated Capital Expenditures for the Implementation of the 1965–1970 Fisheries Development Plan
| 1965/66 | 1966/67 | 1967/68 | 1968/69 | 1969/70 | Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Establishment of Lake Rudolf Fisheries Station | 22,900 | - | - | - | - | 22,900 |
| Establishment of Lake Baringo Fisheries Station | 3,000 | 12,400 | - | - | - | 15,400 |
| Re-stocking of Lake Baringo | 1,500 | - | - | - | - | 1,500 |
| Establishment of Lake Naivasha Fish Landing and Station | 2,000 | 6,500 | - | - | - | 8,500 |
| Rebuilding of Kisumu Fisheries Station | 4,000 | 2,800 | - | - | - | 6,800 |
| South Nyanza Fisheries Development | - | 19,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 49,500 |
| Fish Hatcheries and Fry Centre | 4,000 | 2,200 | - | - | - | 6,200 |
| Tana River Development | - | - | - | - | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| Fish Market Facilities | - | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | - | 36,000 |
| Malindi Harbour | - | - | 30,000 | 30,000 | - | 60,000 |
| Fishing and Fish Transport Vessels | 40,000 | 35,500 | 31,000 | 32,000 | 2,000 | 140,500 |
| Deep-sea Fishery4 | - | - | 30,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | 100,000 |
| Improvement of Fish Landings | - | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| FAO Surveys | 2,000 | - | - | - | - | 2,000 |
| Grant and Loan Schemes | - | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 35,000 |
| Publicity Campaign | - | 6,500 | 6,000 | 3,000 | - | 15,500 |
| TOTAL: | 79,400 | 108,900 | 130,500 | 128,000 | 69,000 | 515,800 |
4 May involve substantially more expenditure if the survey report is encouraging.
| Other Proposals Affecting Fisheries | 1965/66 | 1966/67 | Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| (a) | Directly (Proposed by Fisheries Department) | 50,000 | 250,000 | 300,000 |
| Improvement of Kitale to Ferguson's Gulf (Lake Rudolf) Road | ||||
| (b) | Indirectly | (sometime in planning period) | 510,000 | |
| Mombasa to Malindi Road Improvements and Bituminization | ||||
| Garsen to Lamu Road (Improvement) | 15,000 | 5,000 | 20,000 | |
| Kisumu to Kisii Road (Bituminization) | (sometime in planning period) | 500,000 | ||
| Kisumu to Yala Road (Bituminization) | 205,000 | 205,000 | ||
| Homa Bay to Interior | 40,000 | 40,000 | ||
| TOTAL: | £1,575,000 | |||
The expert recommends that the Fisheries Department continues to be a separate administrative entity answerable directly to the Minister. To carry out the increased responsibilities connected with the implementation of the Fisheries Development Plan, he proposes the following structure and staffing:
HEADQUARTERS ORGANIZATION
A. TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS
B. INLAND FISHERIES
C. MARINE FISHERIES
The proposed increases in staff would appear to be considerable but the expert concludes that, unless trained staff were made available in the various fishing areas and to advise on the different problems of the industry, there could be little hope of further development of the fisheries. Until 1960, the Kenya Fisheries Department was merely a small branch of the Game Department and its chief responsibility was the development of the trout fisheries of the highlands for sport fishing purposes. The trout fisheries are excellent and are world-renowned amongst sport fishermen. A small amount of money had been devoted as well to the development of the sea fisheries, where a great deal has been achieved since 1948 by a single Fisheries Officer aided by a small field staff. In inland waters, a good start has been made on fish farming with the establishment of a Fish Culture Farm at Sagana in 1952 and an extension scheme with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture. Work was started on Lake Rudolf in 1962 by fisheries staff with the assistance of funds from Oxfam, the Christian Council for Kenya, the African Inland Mission, and other charitable organizations. On Lake Victoria, responsibility for fisheries work was taken over from the East African Common Services Organization's Lake Victoria Fisheries Service in 1960, closed down in 1963 following the report of the Economy Commission, and only re-opened again in October 1964, by the Fisheries Department. Work on other lakes and rivers had been confined to field trips of varying duration.
The present stage of development of the fishing industry with landings of 20,000 tons a year of an estimated gross retail value of £2.8 million has been reached to a large extent through the initiative of the fishermen and market agents themselves and, to an even greater extent, through the personal enthusiasm and ingenuity of a small fisheries staff, aided by a few honorary fisheries officers, working with limited funds and equipment.
The fishing industry's share of the gross domestic product in 1964 was approximately 1 per cent, whilst the Fisheries Department's share of gross Central Government recurrent expenditure in 1964/65 was only 0.0081 per cent. Put in another way, fisheries contributed £1 in every £100 of the gross domestic product, whilst in return the Fisheries Department was allocated only 16 cts in each £100 of Government expenditure (100 cts. = Shs 1 East African, Shs. 20/- = £1). Fisheries received only 1/125th of what they contributed. This ratio compares very unfavourably with that applicable to other branches of the natural resources economy.
In the 1960/63 Development Estimates of the Ministry of Forests, Tourism, Game and Fisheries, for example, out of a total of £1,344,500 only £6,000 were allocated to fisheries compared with £1,050,000 to forestry. The trend has continued and in 1965/66, the recurrent vote for fisheries amounts to only £63,960 (including marine, sport and freshwater fisheries) out of a total allocation of £2,287,000 for the Ministry, and compares with a vote for Forestry of £875,890, and for Game of £195,495. In neighbouring Uganda, which has a similar total budget to that of Kenya, and where there is only a freshwater fishery potential, the annual fisheries votes now exceed £100,000.
To achieve a further increase in production, and especially to realize the target of 60,000 tons of fish per annum set under the 1965–1970 development plan, will require not only the large increase in senior staff set out previously but related stenographic and clerical assistance, trained junior field staff, and a proportionate increase in recurrent expenditure on other charges in the Fisheries Department's annual vote.
In brief, it is necessary to completely re-shape the Fisheries Department and review the level of its financing to ensure that it can successfully cope with the responsibilities it will have to assume in connection with developing the commercial fisheries into a major industry.
Considerable expenditure will also be required on improving basic facilities in the fishing villages and in the main marketing centres.
Government administrators and politicians up to now have not been fully aware of the fisheries potential of the country. Sound schemes for the development of fisheries proposed in the post-war years by the Fisheries Department were either given a low priority or rejected. Fisheries, therefore, have remained the most neglected of the natural resources of Kenya. This is clearly apparent from the statistical data relating to other natural resources and to the different consideration being given to fisheries in neighbouring countries as described above.
The Government of Kenya is determined to remedy this situation and to this end has already drawn up a comprehensive development program for fisheries. This is evident from Table VII which shows an estimated capital expenditure over the period 1965–1970, as well as the earmarked expenditure for 1965 of £79,400.
Until October 1964, the Fisheries Department Headquarters building was little more than a sale office for trout licences. It has had to be extended twice in the past nine months to cope with a very modest increase in the Departmental staff which has taken place in this period. External aid personnel attached to the Department have had difficulty in finding even rudimentary accommodation for much of the time of their missions. To meet the accommodation needs of such officers in the future as well as those likely to result from the proposed and foreseeable expansion of Department staff, the expert recommends that further extensions to those already made should be planned and built at an early date. He also noted the absence of running water in the Headquarters building, which makes any form of scientific examination of fish specimens difficult. Water from the main is available and it should be easy to instal wash basin and toilet facilities.
Proper office and simple laboratory accommodation and workshop facilities are also required at Mombasa on the coast. Here, too, difficulty has been experienced by fisheries technical assistance personnel in obtaining minimum office accommodation. Electricity and water supplies are lacking. Furthermore, the Fisheries Department does not hold title to the present, inadequate, office accommodation (one small room in the old Signal Tower) which is rented from E.A. Railways and Harbours. New office accommodation should be properly planned to meet the requirements of the proposed expansion of staff at the coast. Also here, connection to the electricity and water supply in Mombasa should be ensured. The site chosen should be adjacent to the harbour and proper berthing facilities for Departmental vessels should be planned. In the expert's view, this work should be given a high priority.
Simple office accommodation will also be required by the Fisheries Development Officers to be appointed at the new inland fisheries stations, and on the coast.
No provision has been made so far in the 1965–1970 development plan for the above works. It is recommended that the Government of Kenya give urgent consideration to remedying this situation.
Housing will have to be provided for new senior and junior field staff. This should be taken into account in any revision of the 1965–1970 development plan.
Kenya is at present the only East African country which has no facilities for training junior fisheries field staff.
If any improvement in craft and any mechanization in the fishing industry are to be achieved, facilities for instruction in these fields must be created.
The establishment of a Fisheries Training School to train junior field staff and to introduce new techniques to the fishermen should rate a high priority, since no form of training is at present available. Mombasa would be a suitable site for such a school, as both freshwater and marine fishing techniques could be taught in the area. Fish processing establishments are available and there is a Technical School at Mombasa which doubtlessly could help in the running of the Fisheries Training School and provide instruction in some of the basic parts of the curriculum. The boat-building and marine-engineering establishments in the area also could be of value in this connection. Mombasa also has the advantage that it is well served by rail, road and air communications. For specialized instruction in fish-farming, dam fisheries, trout breeding, and major lake fisheries operations on Lakes Victoria and Rudolf, field trips might be organized when funds are available.
The expert recommends that negotiations be initiated with the Ministry of Education with a view to starting suitable courses at the Mombasa Technical Institute. For boat-building, the experience of Uganda could be drawn upon; boat-building training, with follow-up apprenticeship schemes, has been provided there for the past ten years.
The task of reshaping the Fisheries Department will be a considerable one, entailing:
the recruitment of experienced personnel from overseas, either directly, or through international and bilateral agencies. Since such personnel are in short supply, this will require a sustained effort;
the recruitment and training of local staff to assist expatriate experts and to equip them to take over ultimately from them;
the raising and administration of finance, both from internal and external sources.
The expert felt that the Ministry of Natural Resources may find it necessary to create a special section within the Ministry to concentrate on this problem. At present, because of the size of the Ministry and its heavy commitments, the existing staff cannot give these problems the necessary attention.
The Government may wish to consider other means of achieving the objective and decide, for instance, to set up a separate Ministry of Fisheries for a limited period (or permanently if this eventually proves desirable) or of a major administrative unit under an Assistant Minister.
