Timiza Ugatuzi (Kenya Devolution Programme – KDP) Inter-governmental Relations – Kenya Maritime Authorities.

The British High Commission’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and her Timiza Ugatuzi (Kenya Devolution Programme – KDP) , in collaboration with the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) as a lead agency, hosted a Blue Economy Side event during the 9^th Edition of the Africities Summit that took place in Kisumu between the 17^th and 21^st of May 2022. The side event was held on Wednesday, 18^th May 2022 and facilitated by Act Change Transform (Act!), which is leading a consortium of partners in implementing the Timiza Ugatuzi Programme. The side event was highly attended by key Government Ministries and State Departments, the British High Commission, Regional Bodies of the East African Community, State Government Agencies, relevant Private Sector players, Civil Society, critical stakeholders and Development Partners with a keen interest in the blue economy development agenda.

The event sought to take stock of what the East African Community member-states with territorial boundaries touching Lake Victoria have done to:

1. Enhance integration and cooperation in leveraging economies of scale
   and optimizing utilization of shared resources including Lake Victoria.
2. Showcase trade and investment opportunities in the Lake Region and
   its environs.
3. Adopt a collaborative approach in the conservation and management
   of shared resources in Lake Victoria.
4. Seek to address the underlying gaps/drivers and/or challenges
   hindering the ability to unlock trade and investment potential of the
   among East African member states.
5. Promote entrepreneurship through research, innovation and financial
   inclusion in the region.

It is evident that The model of regional blocs is a proven mechanism for spurring economic growth. The national government and county governments must incorporate the private sector in planning and implementation, including creating platforms for investment. Stakeholders should emphasize the inclusion of blue economy development in County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP) to ring-fence funding. Fir instance, Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani has attracted a good resource base from the member counties and external development partners, including the European Union (EU), through the Maritime Security Fund. This investment has a great potential to transform the lives of fisherfolk by unlocking value chains. Regional governments were urged to develop the capability of the tourism sector as a way of further ensuring local economic growth.