The Chairperson of Kenya’s Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Senator David Wakoli Wafula, has called for closer regional cooperation between Kenya and Uganda in the management of shared water resources to promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development.Speaking during a visit to the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) Aquaculture Centre in Kajjansi, Wakoli said that both countries stand to gain from coordinated action on water pollution control, resource management, and innovations in the fisheries value chain.“Fishing remains a lucrative enterprise for both our countries, but it is facing serious challenges that no single nation can solve alone,” Wakoli said. “We must work together to sustainably manage shared water bodies like Lake Victoria.”The Senator, who led a high-level delegation to Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), noted that Kenya has made significant progress in fisheries governance by transforming beach management units into cooperatives—empowering fishermen to adopt responsible practices and tap into new opportunities such as cage farming and small-scale fish processing.Wakoli also praised Uganda’s advancements in fisheries research and innovation, describing the facilities and workforce at NaFIRRI as “impressive and inspiring.” He cited Uganda’s locally developed fish smoking kiln and fish feed technologies as examples that could be replicated in Kenya to boost productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.“I will tell my business people to start buying fish feeds from Uganda and bring farmers for training here,” he said, pledging Kenya’s readiness to strengthen bilateral agreements that enhance agricultural trade and knowledge exchange.NaFIRRI’s Director of Research, Dr. Winnie Nalukenge Nkalubo, highlighted Uganda’s robust fisheries performance, noting an annual fish production of 650,000 tonnes that employs 1.5 million Ugandans and earns about USD 177 million in exports. She outlined NARO’s innovations, including improved fish strains, insect-based feeds, and digital monitoring tools such as the Freshwater Biodiversity Portal and e-Catch Assessment Survey system.Representing NARO Director General, Dr. Stevens Kisaka emphasized the importance of regional coordination, saying many agricultural and fisheries challenges “don’t know borders” and require joint planning and management.The two sides agreed to explore structured platforms for continued collaboration in research, policy, and trade to deliver tangible benefits for communities in both Kenya and Uganda.The post Kenyan Senate Committee Pushes for Stronger Kenya-Uganda Collaboration in Fisheries Management appeared first on The Insider.