The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs has revealed that it spent Kes 1.6 billion on fish stock assessment in the Indian Ocean in the 2023/2024 financial year.

However, the 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.

Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho and Principal Secretary Betsy Muthoni Njagi revealed this when they appeared before the committee on Wednesday.

According to the documents tabled before the house team chaired by Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen, Kes 3.6 billion had been allocated to the ministry for three years to undertake a fish stock assessment exercise in the Indian Ocean.

The first phase of the project began on July 1, 2023, and was completed on June 30, 2024, during which the Ministry expended Kes 1.6 billion.

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Further, the Ministry stated that the undertaking that commenced July 1st,2023, is set to be completed in the 2025/ 2026 financial year and will 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.”

“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 remarked.

As he requested more time, MPs were not amused by the Ministry’s acting Chief Executive Officer's failure to offer satisfactory answers on exact figures related to the assessment findings.

“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 had been done and that, once more time was accorded, it would table a report on what was done in the last financial year.

“The question is, if the project is complete and the Kes 1.6 billion has already been utilized, why then are we budgeting for another Kes 600 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 Kes 600 million allocated to it. What is the secret behind it?” Kisumu West MP Roza Buyu posed.

CS Joho explained that every country interested in the 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 Ministry is now expected to appear before the committee again from next week to table the assessment report amidst queries.