Kenya has started developing a national Marine Spatial Plan, becoming one of the latest countries to adopt this integrated framework that is now globally accepted for sustainable management of ocean resources.
MSP is a public, data-driven process for the allocation of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives.
Kenya’s MSP is being coordinated by the State Department for the Blue Economy and Fisheries, which has constituted a structure that brings together all the sectors relevant to the Blue Economy.
“MSP involves balancing various marine uses, such as fishing, shipping, energy, and conservation, through a participatory and transparent approach that considers both present and future needs,” according to the MSP Coordinator for Kenya, Dr. Jaqueline Uku.
Dr Uku notes that the plan is being developed using the Physical and Land Use Planning Act because the Constitution considers the ocean as part of Kenya’s land.
“The initial National Spatial Plan for Kenya covered terrestrial space but did not capture the ocean space, partly because there was no understanding of what lies under the ocean,” says Dr Uku.
The development of the Marine Spatial Plan is currently in its early stages. This involves collecting data and consulting with all stakeholders to provide information that will enable the planners to come up with proposed zones for different uses of ocean space.
Speaking in Tana River County on one of the consultation missions to sensitize communities in Tana River County on MSP, Dr. Uku explained that marine spatial planning is about safeguarding ocean spaces and guiding their uses.
“Many times, most look at the sea in terms of fisheries, but the ocean has many other uses,” she said and added, “There’s tourism, there’s boat use, marine cables, a source of energy in terms of wind energy and solar energy from the ocean space.”
Dr. Uku was leading a team of physical planners in the mission to the five counties that border the Indian Ocean, which include Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa, Lamu, and Kwale.
In Tana River, the team met the Tana River County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Fisheries, Agriculture, Lands and Cooperatives Development, Mwanajuma Hiribae, who represented Governor Dadho Godhana.
CECM Haribae said that through the MSP process, other uses of the ocean space can be explored, this may include “using the ocean space for blue economy aspirations to push us forward in using the resources that the ocean offers us so as to improve livelihoods and realize the envisaged human development in our county,” she said of the program being undertaken together with the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs which is overseeing the process and working in cooperation with other line ministries, government departments and agencies.
Noting that the ocean spaces have changed, Dr. Uku said that the MSP will be looking at the historical changes occurring in the ocean and how they can be addressed under the MSP and expressed enthusiasm that the MPS will open up the ocean space to Kenyans to understand that below the blue water are resources.
“While some may say the ocean is inundating land, but it could be that the ocean might be reclaiming its space,” she said and added, “we will be looking also at the historical ocean, the behaviour of the ocean historically, so that we are able to provide safeguards for the future.”
Tana River County provides nursery grounds for various fish species hence a major area of interest under the MSP, which Dr. Uku says they “will be mapped out so as to safeguard them and conserve them.” Ensuring that developers do not put structures that would change the functions of the nursery grounds.
Noting that the process will allow Kenyans to give their thoughts during the process, Dr. Uku, the MSP, is looking at ocean functions, the potential for use in the future. This is being developed through working together with both the national government, county government, and public participation, “to deliver a marine spatial plan for Kenya that meets all our aspirations.”
CECM Hiribae said that 76 kilometers of the county’s border is the Indian Ocean, expressing optimism that the MSP will aid in decision-making on the utilization of the ocean resources, noting that the ocean is a major resource in the development of the county.
Tana River, which is one of the five counties that borders the Indian Ocean will benefit from the input by the public through public participation through the MSP process. “MSP is important as it will enable us to plan and make decisions on how to utilize the resources from the ocean.”
Hiribae noted that while climate change is becoming a major challenge to productivity in the green economy, as the sea is inundating agricultural lands in parts of the areas, including Kilelengwani and Ozi, affecting agricultural productivity.
The CECM noted that the use of data in decision making will enable targeted interventions, “we have seen investors provide cooling systems for the fisherfolk, provision of boats for those in the fishing sector, but if this goes on without using data, this will be just guesswork”.
