This archive report was first published on 28 June 2021.
It has been three years since the Lamu County government launched a digital fishing card initiative aimed at preventing pirates from entering Kenyan waters. However, the project remains unimplemented, leaving many fishermen in the dark.
The digital fishing card, also known as the 'Mvuvi Card,' was designed to help identify fishermen and prevent pirates from entering Kenyan waters.
BMU Lamu Chairman Mohamed Somo expressed surprise at the lack of progress, saying, 'We were involved in the project. We welcomed it with open arms. We took pictures. We also provided our names, identification numbers, and other details that we wanted to include in the card. What remained was to wait for the card. We are surprised that three years have passed, and no one has been issued with the card. The government should inform us if the project is still ongoing or if it has been abandoned.'
Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia acknowledged that the project has not been implemented but asked fishermen to be patient, saying, 'There have been technical challenges in preparing the digital cards. We are working to resolve these challenges. Fishermen should not be worried. They should know that the project is still ongoing.'
Island of Lamu fishermen's representative Abubakar Twalib said that they had high hopes for the project, which they believed would help reduce the fear that fishermen have when fishing at night.
For a long time, fishermen in Lamu have not been able to engage in night fishing due to safety concerns.
On May 2019, the then-Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i visited Lamu and ordered the ban on night fishing to be lifted across the county.
He also ordered all fishermen to be registered electronically to make it easier for them to be identified and to enhance their safety while engaging in fishing activities.
Twalib said that if the digital fishing card project is implemented, many fishermen, including those who have previously suspended their activities due to fear of being arrested and the need to protect their safety while at sea, would be able to resume their work.
