By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 19 June 2026 - The successful hosting of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa was more than a diplomatic achievement.
It was a statement of intent. Kenya is positioning itself as one of Africa's leading champions of the blue economy at a time when oceans and inland waters are emerging as the next frontier of sustainable growth. The conference affirmed that the country's maritime ambitions are no longer aspirational. They are steadily becoming national policy.
For decades, Kenya's economic narrative revolved around agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. Today, the conversation is expanding. The country's coastline along the Indian Ocean and the vast inland waters of Lake Victoria are increasingly viewed as strategic economic assets capable of driving trade, creating jobs, strengthening food security and accelerating regional integration.
Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho deserves credit for projecting Kenya's maritime agenda onto the global stage. Under his stewardship, the ministry has presented the blue economy not simply as an environmental obligation but as a long-term economic strategy. The Mombasa conference demonstrated Kenya's growing confidence that sustainable management of marine resources can coexist with commercial expansion and investment.
Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi has complemented that vision with strong technical leadership. Her coordination of policy and stakeholder engagement helped ensure that Kenya was not merely hosting a global conference but shaping conversations around sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, climate resilience and ocean governance. Such leadership matters because successful blue economy policies require science, investment and institutional coordination working together.
Yet the true measure of Kenya's blue economy strategy lies beyond Mombasa. It stretches from the Indian Ocean to the shores of Lake Victoria.
President William Ruto has repeatedly argued that Kenya has, for generations, underutilised one of its greatest natural endowments. The country's marine and freshwater resources remain largely untapped despite their enormous economic potential. His administration has consistently maintained that the blue economy should become a major contributor to national growth through fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, ship repair, logistics, tourism, renewable energy and marine biotechnology.
That vision explains the sustained public investment in maritime infrastructure. The modernisation of the Port of Kisumu and the development of feeder ports around Lake Victoria are designed to reconnect western Kenya with regional trade corridors linking Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Improved port infrastructure is expected to stimulate commerce, lower transport costs, expand regional markets and attract private investment into the lake economy.
President Ruto has personally inspected the Port of Kisumu on several occasions, reaffirming his administration's commitment to completing critical infrastructure projects. His message has remained consistent. Lake Victoria should no longer be viewed merely as a water body but as an economic highway capable of unlocking new opportunities for millions of people across the region.
That thinking is increasingly reflected in government policy. Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration Dr Raymond Omollo has observed that the State continues to invest heavily in blue economy infrastructure around both the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria. These investments are intended not only to improve transport and security but also to unlock economic opportunities that have remained dormant for decades. The objective is straightforward: create jobs, strengthen livelihoods and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
The same philosophy is taking root at the regional level. In Kisumu, the Lake Basin Development Authority, under the leadership of Managing Director CPA Wycliffe Ochiaga, is pursuing ecological and economic programmes aimed at making the blue economy a practical reality for communities living around Lake Victoria. Working closely with the administration of Kisumu Governor Professor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o and development partners in the water and environmental sectors, the authority is promoting scientific, sustainable and community-driven solutions that balance environmental conservation with economic development.
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The focus extends beyond protecting the lake's ecosystem. It seeks to expand aquaculture, improve fisheries management, restore wetlands, enhance water quality and create new opportunities in fish processing, transport, tourism and related industries. Such initiatives have the potential to transform livelihoods across the riparian counties of Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori, where thousands of families depend directly on Lake Victoria for their incomes.
This integrated approach reflects an important shift in thinking. Environmental conservation and economic development are no longer viewed as competing priorities. Instead, they are increasingly recognised as mutually reinforcing. Healthy marine and freshwater ecosystems support productive fisheries, resilient tourism, efficient transport and sustainable investment.
The significance of the Our Ocean Conference therefore extends far beyond Kenya's coastline. It reinforced the country's growing belief that the blue economy represents one of Africa's last major untapped development frontiers. So, by connecting global partnerships forged in Mombasa with infrastructure investments around Lake Victoria, Kenya is building a comprehensive blue economy strategy that spans both ocean and inland waters.
Challenges remain. Illegal fishing, pollution, climate change and weak value chains continue to constrain the sector's full potential. But the policy direction is increasingly clear. The combination of political commitment, institutional leadership, infrastructure investment and scientific innovation suggests Kenya is moving steadily in the right direction.
If the current momentum is sustained, future generations may look back on this period as the moment Kenya finally recognised that some of its greatest economic wealth was not buried beneath the ground, but carried by the waters of the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria. The country's blue economy is no longer a promise waiting to be discovered. It is becoming a defining pillar of Kenya's long-term economic transformation.
The writer is a senior journalist based in Kenya and a regular advocate for democracy and good governance. Email address: kepher43@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa.