The human environment: fisheries; and mineral resources; Manufacturing
A fishery is an area where fish are caught for commercial or recreational purposes. It
can be a defined body of water or a collection of fishing activity that have been agreed
upon by countries and fishers.
Types of fisheries
I) Industrial fisheries. …
II) Small-scale fisheries. …
III) Artisanal fisheries. …
IV) Recreational/Sport fisheries. …
V) Commercial fisheries. …
VI) Subsistence fisheries. …
VII) Traditional fisheries.
Kenya's marine fishery lies in the Somali Coastal Current LME in the Western Indian
Ocean in which also the Agulhas Current LME is located. The commercial fisheries
stocks in the Western Indian Ocean are transboundary and in this region shared by 8
countries.
The Kenyan coast offers a wide and diverse range of fish such as King Mackerel,
Barracuda, Rainbow Runner, Bonito and several species of Trevally, to the offshore
game fish such as Yellow fin Tuna, Amberjack, Wahoo and Dorado.
Inland fisheries are commercial fishing operations taking place in freshwater. Some
of these activities capture fish living naturally in a body of water, like lakes and
rivers:
-Lakes: Victoria, Turkana, Naivasha, Jipe and Baringo.
-Rivers: Tana, Yala, Sagana, Nzoia and Nyando.
The other type of inland fishery is in fish farms, where fish are raised in tanks or
ponds, generally for human consumption.
The fisheries resources of Kenya are distributed within the inland freshwater
bodies and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) within the Indian Ocean. The marine
and inland water fisheries are distinct in geographical scope, operations and markets.
Inland fisheries are defined and managed based on ecosystems, water bodies and
species, while the classification of marine fisheries is based on fishing gear and their
operations, target species and geographic scope. Kenya’s fishing industry contributes
about 0.5% of the national GDP and about 2% of the national export earnings. The
industry employs over 60,000 fishers directly and an estimated 1.2 million people
directly and indirectly within the fishing, production and supply chain. This income
and livelihoods are mainly supported by the freshwater Lakes Victoria, Turkana,
Naivasha, Baringo, Rivers Tana, Athi-Sabaki, Nzoia, Yala, and man-made dams, as
well as the coastal and the open sea ecosystems.
National fishery catches increased to almost 200,000 metric tonnes in the 1990s
followed by a subsequent drop mainly due to the decline of the Nile perch fishery in
Lake Victoria. Marine fish production is from the territorial waters and the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ), spanning approximately 230,000 km 2. The fishing capacity is
constituted of about 3,000 small scale fishing crafts and approximately 14,000 fishers.
The small scale fishing crafts are dominated by wooden dugout canoes, mashua and
outriggers, of which less than 10% is motorised. There are 3–4 shallow water
trawlers, while about 30–40 purse seiners and 4–9 longliners licensed to fish in the
Kenya EEZ annually. Marine fishery catch data indicates an annual production of
24,709 metric tonnes worth KeS. 4.6 billion. The status of near-shore fishery
stocks varies from optimally exploited to overfished for some species and localities.
Fisheries that show definite signs of decline include sharks, the semi-industrial
prawn trawl fishery and sea cucumber fishery. The offshore fishery potential is
estimated to be between 150,000 – 300,000 metric tonnes worth KeS. 21–42
billion. Lake Victoria contributes about 80% of the fish production in Kenya, 1% of
world capture fish and 8% of world inland capture fish and also supports the
largest inland freshwater fishery on earth. However, only 6% of the lake is in Kenya.
In 2016, 118,145 metric ttonnes of fish worth about KeS. 9.44 billion was landed
from Lake Victoria. The main commercial fish species from Lake Victoria
include Rastrineobola agentea (Omena), Lates niloticus (Nile perch)
and Oreochromis niloticus (Tilapia). The current number of fishers is estimated to be
slightly over 43,000, and the number of fishing crafts to over 14,000 which are
artisanal. The decline in the Lake Victoria fishery is driven by increasing demand for
fish, leading to increasing use of illegal fishing gears, as well the proliferation of
macrophytes, due to increased nutrient from run off which has far-reaching
implications on fish production and other water-based economic activities in the Lake.
The other lakes, dams and rivers produce approximately 10,000 metric tonnes worth
KeS. 0.926 billion. The fish is caught by an estimated 8,000 fishers operating 2,200
fishing crafts. The Lake Turkana fishery is mainly supported by the Nile perch (L.
niloticus) and Nile tilapia (O. niloticus), while other species include Labeo horie,
Alestes spp, Distichodus niloticus, Citharinus spp, Bagrus spp and Hydrocynus
forskahlii contribute less.
The Lake Naivasha fishery is based on seven introduced species namely; Cyprinus
carpio, Oreochromis leucostictus, Orechromis niloticus, Tilapia zillii, Micropterus
salmoides, Procambarus clarkii and clarius (Catfish) species. Cyprinus carpio is the
dominant fish species in the lake followed by Tilapia. The changes in the lake
environment include the decline in water quality and the proliferation of invasive
plants namely Salvinia molesta (floating water fern) in the 1980s, and more recently,
by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).
The Lake Baringo fishery is made of four fish species namely: Protopterus
aethiopicus, Barbus intermedius australis, Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis nilotic
us baringoensis. P. aethiopicus currently dominates the catches, while O.
niloticus baringoensis used to dominate catches in the 80s and 90s. Fish production
in Lake Baringo has been dwindling over the years driven by changes in water level.
The main challenges facing Kenya’s fishery sector include environmental change and
variability, invasive species, overfishing, declining stocks and post-harvest loss.
Management interventions developed over the years include introduction of co-
management structures mainly the Beach Management Units (BMUs) and the
Community Based Conservation Areas (CBCAs) mandated with the management of
fishing operations and conservation of the local environment, and development and
implementation of fisheries management plans at the local level.
The fisheries sector has the potential for increased production particularly in
the marine fisheries and Lake Turkana. Reduction of post harvest loss, processing and
value addition has the potential to significantly increase the value and the contribution
of fisheries to the national economy and food security. Investment in land-based fish
handling and value addition infrastructure as well as monitoring of the stocks and the
water quality are key for enhanced growth in the capture fishery sector. Kenya is
looking at national aquatic resources, in particular capture fisheries and aquaculture,
as a frontier for economic development to support the Vision 2030 development
objectives as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) of food security
and poverty reduction. The Blue Economy initiative also recognizes the important role
of aquatic-based activities, to the economic development and food security of Kenya.
For the purpose of development planning and to support the sustainable management
of fisheries resources, timely data and information on the status of the fishery stocks
and associated ecosystems is critical.
Mineral Resources in Kenya
Mining in Kenya yields high-grade quantities of gold, copper, ilmenite and tantalum.
Kenya is also an important source of non-metallic minerals including soda ash,
limestone, salt, niobium, fluorspar and fossil fuels.
Kenya is generally not regarded as a mining country, yet it hosts a variety of mineral
deposits, mines and exploration projects. The country-wide airborne geophysical
surveys, are expected to generate many new exploration targets and to contribute to fully
appraise Kenya’s real potential for mineral development.
Nested in the Rift Valley on Lake Magadi, close to the border with Tanzania, Tata
Chemical’s soda ash operation is among the largest in the world. The mine has been in
operation for over a 100 year. Base Titanium’s heavy mineral sands mine, which was
commissioned much more recently in 2013, has now become an industry leader in the
production of rutile, ilmenite and zircon. The mine has reserves of 110 metric tonnes at
5% and currently produces about 90,000 metric tonnes per year of rutile, 460,000 metric
tonnes per year of ilmenite and 35,000 metric tonnes per year of zircon. The Kenyan
coast hosts more heavy mineral sands resources which could be developed in the future.
Kenya has a vibrant limestone mining and cement manufacturing industry, with players
such as Bamburi Cement, Mombasa Cement, Athi River Mining, Savannah Cement,
Simba Cement, Blue Triangle Cement, Rai Cement and East African Portland. Unti
recently, Kenya was producing about 150,000 tonnes per year of flouspar. The mine
closed, but there are various plans to revive it as the resource is not exhausted. Other
industrial minerals development opportunities include diatomite, vermiculite,
baryte,bentonite, gypsum and granite.
Kenya also has significant potential for gold production, in particular in the Nyanzan
greenstone belt of Western Kenya, where artisan mining is rife. Acacia Mining recently
defined a maiden resource of 1.31 Metric tonnes at 12.1 grams per tonne at the Liranda
Corridor. Kabere Mining (near Kisumu) and Kilimapesa Gold (in Lolgorien) are fully-
mechanised small-scale operations which have been producing gold for some years now.
Kenya offers significant potential for thr development of formal small-scale gold mines.
These typically a higher of jobs created per ounce produced than large-scale mines, thus
a strong positive economic impact on rural communities.
Some base metal occurrences are known in Kenya and exploited on a small-scale. These
include copper, chromite and iron ore deposits. The most immediate development
potential, however, lies in the manganese deposits located between Mombasa and
Malindi.
Kenya has known lignite deposits in the Mui basin, and legacy airborne geophysical
surveys on limited parts of the country show that the potential for uranium deposits
exists in a variety of geological environments, besides the infamous Mrima Rare Earth
Elements and Niobium deposit in Kwale County, despite the fact that it is a relatively
small resource, it is of high grade and well positioned, only a few kilometers away from
the Indian Ocean. More potential for REE exists in other carbonatite occurrences, in
particular in Western Kenya. The same rock formations also have potential for
phosphates.
Many parts of Kenya are producing coloured gemstones. Tsavorite, a vibrant green
variety of garnet, was named after the Tsavo National Park and is a widely recognised
precious stone. Other coloured gemstones produced in kenya include ruby, sapphire,
spinel, aquamarine, rhodolite, kornerupine and a variety of magnesian tourmalines.
Emarald has not been confirmed yet in Kenya, but the proximity of the Ethiopian
deposits to the North and of the Manyara deposits in Tanzania to the South strongly
suggest that it is only a matter of time before kenya becomes another emerald source.
What is a manufacturing?
Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into a finished product.
That product might be stand-alone or a component for something else. A
manufacturing process starts at the design stage, relying on the use of automated
machinery, human experts, or both to build the goods. Because many industries
rely on efficient manufacturing, several processes have been developed to suit
various needs. These fall into six categories:
Types of Manufacturing in Kenya
i) Agro-Processing Industries. …
ii) Textile and Apparel Manufacturing. …
iii) Construction Materials. …
iv) Chemical and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. …
v) Renewable Energy Equipment Manufacturing. …
vi) Plastics and Packaging. …
vii) Automotive Assembly and Components. …
viii) ICT Hardware Assembly.
What are the 6 types of manufacturing processes?
The six types of manufacturing processes differ in how they deal with a
product’s journey from start to finish.
1. Repetitive manufacturing
Repetitive manufacturing does exactly what it says, makes goods by following
repetitive steps. This is ideal for consistent, high-volume production with few
variations. The production line can run almost constantly if needed.
However, there is one significant disadvantage. If there is a fault with any part of
the production, all other areas and all items will be affected, unlike in
manufacturing processes with more variation
2. Discrete manufacturing
In discrete manufacturing, you view products as individual items. So, the steps
have more changes than on a repetitive production line. This is beneficial for
manufacturers producing a range of items, perhaps with changes in size or style.
Car manufacturers might use this method.
The various products may or may not be very different from each other. But the
more changes there are, the more time needed to set up the production line each
time.
3. Job shop manufacturing
Job shop manufacturing has been described as the “ultimate case of discrete
manufacturing.” This is because it treats each item as unique, allowing for
customized details.
This type of manufacturing process usually involves production areas or
workstations rather than lines and is applied to small-quantity or individual
orders. Job shop set ups are often associated with just in time approaches to
manufacturing when you make products as needed rather than in advance.
4. Continuous process manufacturing
In continuous manufacturing, materials constantly move through the production
line, just like in repetitive manufacturing.
The main difference here is that continuous manufacturing generally uses raw
materials that undergo some kind of chemical reaction or change. So, the process
is a continuous flow.
5. Batch process manufacturing
Batch manufacturing treats products as a group. When all the goods from one
batch have finished a particular stage, they move on together. Every finished
product from one batch should be identical.
We tend to use batch manufacturing processes when we need flexibility. For
example, we can change a batch’s size or customize a stage to add a design
feature.
Because the products in a batch need to be the same, a lot of the work can be
done by machines, with workers overseeing the process.
6. 3D printing
3D printing, sometimes called additive manufacturing, is one of the newest types
of manufacturing to become popular. The process often starts with scanning an
object or creating a 3D design on CAD software. A machine would then join
materials layer by layer to create a physical version.
Under Vision 2030, Kenya aspires to be a middle income, rapidly industrializing
country and globally competitive by 2030. To achieve this, Kenya’s GDP must grow
by US$4-6 billion per year, which is a growth rate of about 10% per year. We
recognise that achieving this growth rate presents a significant challenge for Kenya,
as Kenya’s GDP has grown at closer to 5% per year over the past few years.
The manufacturing sector will be a key driver for economic growth and development.
Industrial activities create jobs, increase GDP and contribute to wealth accumulation.
As such, Kenya aims to have a robust, diversified, and competitive manufacturing
sector. We have a solid foundation from which we can build, and we have a clear path
ahead for how we can develop the manufacturing sector. In the medium and long
term, the sector will play a critical role in propelling the economy to achieve the 10%
growth rate needed to reach Vision 2030. We must overcome some challenges to
build momentum in the sector. In addition, the sector will support the country’s social
development agenda through the creation of jobs for the increasing number of youths
entering the job market, the generation of foreign exchange, and by attracting the
Foreign Direct Investments.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sub-sector is recognised as the
foundation of Kenya’s industrial and enterprise development. The sector has a huge
potential to generate the much needed employment opportunities especially for the
youth. However, the potential of the sector has not been fully realised due to
challenges such as limited access to appropriate finance; inadequate markets;
poor infrastructure in certain areas, limited technology uptake, weak
management structures, weak linkages with research institutions, poor product
quality especially for SMEs, and lack of access to skilled labour. Providing
affordable, high quality and accessible infrastructure will be key in attracting more
private investments in the industrial sector. SMEs Industrial Parks, Industrial Parks
and Special Economic Zones with requisite infrastructure and social amenities will be
developed to provide incentives to potential investors.
To accomplish this plan, the Ministry will collaborate closely with development
partners, County Governments and private sector to ensure that all of our resources
work in concert. One concrete example of our effort in this area is the Public Private
Partnerships Policy and Act, which will strengthen the legal framework for public
and private sector to investment in the sector. The PPP policy framework offers an
opportunity for Kenya to attract enhanced private sector participation in financing,
building and operating infrastructure services and facilities including the SEZs,
Industrial and Science Parks; Industrial Clustering and industrial incubations
facilities. The sector plan therefore provides a roadmap for revitalizing the
manufacturing sector and making Kenya the most competitive and preferred location
for industrial investment in Africa.
