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{
    "id": 1424518,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1424518/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
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    "content": "a Small Purse Seine Fisheries Management Plan and I think I do not need to belabour on them because they are very clear. We have the National Aquaculture Development Strategy, which has illuminated the potential of Aquaculture in the Mount Kenya Region. We have embarked on Sagana because we want to inspire aquaculture activities in Mt. Kenya. We have some strategies that have been put together to ensure that we inspire the Blue Economy Sector. This means we have also reviewed all the regulations that have been developed. Some of them are already with the Committee on Delegated Legislation in the National Assembly, and we are moving forward to ensure that we bring order in the fisheries and Blue Economy sector. The second question that relates to the Kshs1 billion fund in terms of investing in women in the Blue Economy is critical. The Blue Economy Sector has many players and women have a huge contribution in most parts of the Blue space. It is for that reason that we decided to partner with the Canadian Government and the Africa Enterprise Fund, to bring on board a grant, which is going to help women progress in their enterprises. This Kshs1 billion fund is currently in two regions, for instance, the Lake Victoria region covering the Lake Victoria Counties and the Coast region covering the ocean counties. This fund is led by the private sector and we do not have any money as the Government on this one. It is purely a private sector-led programme, of course, with our guidance and looking at how they are going to work with vulnerable women who are struggling with business in this sector. We launched this fund in August 2023 and approximately Kshs200 million has already been committed to three medium-sized enterprises in Lake Victoria at approximately Kshs155 million and other 20 small-scale enterprises in the coast region. We have already given them Kshs50 million and we did this last month. The organisation was in Mombasa and we have tabulated the amounts on that page, and I do not have to go page by page. We have done this for Lake Victoria and the coast region. Since Sen. Miraj was asking on behalf of the House concerning that money, I want to assure the House that the money is still there. Therefore, those who are in those regions can mobilise the enterprises together with our officers and the private sector to ensure that this money can be accessed. It is not a loan; it is a grant. You do not have to be a fisherman; you have to do a Blue Economy-related enterprise to apply for these funds. We have also worked with county governments for wider reach. On Question No. 046(c) about the policy on women in the blue economy space, I would like to assure the House, firstly, that most of the policies I mentioned earlier in (a) that we are developing leverage on providing an enabling environment for women to participate in blue economy activities. The blue economy in Kenya includes several artisanal and commercial scale activities from the traditional ocean and fresh-water industries, such as fisheries and tourism, to new and emerging activities, such as seabed extractive activities, aquaculture, honey harvesting and mangroves. Kenya has targeted response at policy level to address"
}