Introduction
Homa Bay County, located along the expansive shores of Lake Victoria, is one of Kenya’s leading blue economy Counties. With over 200 kilometers of shoreline, the county has long depended on capture fisheries for food and income. However, decades of overfishing, environmental degradation, and the growing impacts of climate change, such as warming lake waters, erratic rainfall, and fluctuating water levels, have severely depleted fish stocks and disrupted livelihoods, exposing communities to poverty, food insecurity, and economic vulnerability.
In response, the County Government, supported by development partners and national programs, has championed aquaculture as a climate-resilient, inclusive, and economically viable alternative. Recognizing that aquaculture offers a more controlled and adaptive environment for fish production, key initiatives such as the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA), and donor-backed interventions from Echo Network Africa and Farm Africa have driven a shift from reliance on wild capture to pond and cage-based systems.
Between 2018 and 2025, over KES 1.5 billion has been invested in fisheries development, leading to the establishment of more than 1,800 fish ponds and over 250 cage units across the County. These efforts are backed by innovations such as solar-powered aquaculture systems, decentralized hatcheries, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) production for sustainable feed, and aquaponics, which together build resilience by lowering input costs, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring year-round production.
These climate-smart practices are enabling a diverse range of community members, including youth, women, and smallholder farmers, to thrive in aquaculture despite growing climate pressures. The following examples from Rusinga Island and Muga Fish Farm illustrate how inclusive, locally driven innovations are transforming aquaculture into a climate adaptation strategy and economic growth engine in Homa Bay County.
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