A group of 15 hotels and resorts operating along Lake Victoria's shoreline in Homa Bay County has filed a petition against the unregulated spread of commercial fish cages near their properties, according to details shared by digital creator Kelitu Kaseo on Facebook.
The petition, submitted under the name Alliance of Lakefront Hospitality and Tourism Operators, was addressed to several Homa Bay county executive committee members, the National Environment Management Authority, and sub-county administrators covering Suba North and Suba South.
Stamped copies show the memorandum was received by relevant county departments between July 5 and July 8, 2026, including offices handling blue economy affairs, trade and tourism, and water and environment matters.
The petitioners object to industrial cage fish farming systems being installed directly adjacent to hospitality properties along Koguna Beach, Nyachebe Beach, Rusinga Island and Mbita Point, areas the group describes as a well established tourism zone.
According to the Facebook post, cages have appeared inside Mbita town, near the Mbita causeway, within Rusinga Island itself, and along the Mbita-Sindo road, with new structures reportedly erected in large numbers within short periods.
The post further claims two additional firms with Chinese ownership are actively seeking licences to establish cages, one near Victoria Sands Lodge and another in the Sienga area, though this could not be independently verified.
Signatories to the petition include Victoria Sands Lodge, Bayside Hotel, Bimoss Beach and Campsite, Mbita Tourist Hotel, Rusinga Island Lodge, Lorateng Resort, Chula Beach Resort, White Stone Beach Resort and Wayando Beach Ecolodge.
Additional signatories listed are Fisherman's Paradise, Maara Resort, Vicblock Beach Resort, Cool Breeze Resort and Rusinga Island Resort, alongside one further property named in the submitted document.
The petitioners state they are not opposed to fish cage farming as an economic activity, but are calling for proper zoning to separate aquaculture operations from established tourism infrastructure along the lakefront.
Kaseo's post credits the area's senator with acting swiftly after receiving the petition, presenting it before the Senate. It also references a local member of parliament reviving a fisheries management bill meant to govern aquaculture licensing.
The post appeals to the county governor to freeze further fish cage approvals in the affected areas pending discussions with petitioners, arguing that licensing currently falls under county government authority.
Copies of the petition were also copied to the county commissioner and sub-county administrators for both Suba North and Suba South, according to the stamped distribution list attached to the document.
The Facebook post additionally referenced water pollution near the Tabla area, which it attributed to excess fish feed from nearby cages, though no independent assessment of this claim has been published.
The matter remains under review by the relevant county departments, and no formal response from Homa Bay County authorities had been issued publicly at the time of the petition's circulation online.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!