Nairobi — Lawmakers are irked following disclosures that the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime affairs revealed that it had spent Sh1.6 billion for fish stock assessment in the Indian Ocean in the 2023/2024 financial year.
Members of the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and irrigation raised concerns that there was no value for money in the exercise as the assessment didn't harbor tangible results.
The revelations on the expenditure of the assessment program in the last financial year were made by Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and Principal Secretary Betsy Muthoni Njagi who appeared before the committee.
Documents tabled before the house team chaired by Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen show a total Sh3.6 billion had been allocated to the ministry for a three-year period to undertake a fish stock assessment exercise in the Indian Ocean.
The first phase of the project began on July 1, 2023 was completed on June 30, 2024 during which the Ministry expended Sh1.6 billion.
The undertaking that commenced July 1st ,2023, they said, is set to be completed in the 2025/ 2026 financial year and is to be implemented in three phases.
"Out of that assessment, what was the end product? Do you have anything to give us? We gave you about Sh1.2 billion to do some stock assessment in the first year," he stated.
"At this point you should be telling us and telling the country that we have this number of Tuna Fish, this number of Tilapia etc. We gave you the money so we can know what we have in our waters."
Tiaty MP William Kamket questioned why the country was allocating billions for fish counting amidst competing priorities of national interest.
"So you are telling this committee that you were allocated the billions just to count fish in the ocean?" he posed.
MPs were not amused by failure of the Ministry's acting Chief Executive Officer to offer satisfactory answers on exact figures with relation to findings from the assessment as he requested for more time.
"I am the MP for Mathira and if you ask me how many registered voters are in Mathira I do not need to research, I know because IEBC did its work...he is the person in charge of that assessment. He should give us figures on the report of the last assessment, he does not need to prepare," Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi stated.
The Ministry insisted that stock assessment has been done and that it would table a report on what has been done in the last financial year once accorded more time.
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"The question is, if the project is complete and the Sh1.6 billion has already been utilized, why then are we budgeting for another Sh600 million for this year,"
"You are talking of some projects not being completed because of austerity measures in the country yet for this one you have Sh600 million allocated to it. What is the secret behind it?" Kisumu West MP Roza Buyu posed.
CS Joho explained that every country that has interest in matters blue economy undertakes the assessment to attract investors saying the exercise is beyond fish counting.
"We will not be able to go to investors and tell them to come to Kenya if we do not have an assessment report...It really goes beyond counting fish. It is being able to understand the entire eco-system so we can understand the zoning in the ocean," Joho indicated.
The committee chair however pressed on, seeking to know how the ministry could dedicate Sh3.6 billion to "count the fish" yet in terms of revenue, the country did not rake in even Sh50 million in terms of revenue.
The Joho led Ministry is now expected to appear before the committee again from next week to table the assessment report amidst queries.
