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Aquaculture stakeholders have asked Mining, Blue Economy
Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho to clarify why the government has not implemented
recommendations made by a joint task force.
The team was established to resolve a dispute over levies on commercial fish farming.
The Lake Victoria Aquaculture Association (LVA) says the delay has created uncertainty for investors and raised concerns about the government's commitment to agreements reached through stakeholder consultations.
LVA secretary Pete Ondeng said the association engaged the state in good faith after Joho established a Ministry-Industry Task Force to address disagreements over the Fisheries Management and Development (Aquaculture) Regulations, 2024.
Ondeng, who co-chaired the task force, said months of consultations culminated in a joint communiqué outlining an agreed approach to resolving the dispute. However, its recommendations have yet to be implemented.
"The matter is no longer only about whether the levy is lawful. It is also about whether the government will respect the outcome of a consultative process that it initiated," he said.
The regulations introduced a Sh50,000 licence fee and a five per cent ad valorem levy on commercial aquaculture enterprises, prompting opposition from fish farmers.
Stakeholders' concerns have intensified following the dismissal of an earlier petition filed by the association in the High Court. The ruling has raised fears that the Government could move to enforce the charges.
Ondeng, however, said the court's decision did not address the recommendations made by the task force.
"The court dealt with the legal questions before it. It did not determine whether the government should implement the consensus reached by the task force," he said.
LVA has written to Joho seeking an urgent meeting to explain the delay in implementing the joint communiqué and clarify the government's position following the court ruling.
Ondeng warned that prolonged uncertainty could discourage private investment in aquaculture, particularly in the Lake Victoria Basin, where fish farming is increasingly contributing to food security, employment and economic growth as capture fisheries decline.
He said the association remained open to dialogue and believed implementing the task force recommendations would provide a practical solution to the dispute.
Meanwhile, the levy faces a fresh legal challenge after Kisumu-based cage fish farmer Victor Didi filed a constitutional petition seeking conservatory orders to stop implementation of the five per cent ad valorem levy.
According to LVA, the High Court has issued interim conservatory orders pending further directions, with other stakeholders considering joining the case as interested parties.
Fish farmers say the proposed charges could further erode already thin profit margins.
Dunga farmer Hosea Ojwang described the levies as punitive, while Beatrice Awino of Asat warned they could undermine the sustainability of commercial aquaculture.
The renewed pressure comes as stakeholders urge the government to clarify its position and honour recommendations developed through its own consultative process.
