Fuel is one precious commodity whose shortage can cause potential distress to the Kenyan markets. Fishing is one of the Kenyan economic activities that has greatly been affected by the fuel shortage. Fishing in Lake Victoria, for instance, has come to a sudden standstill due to the absence of petrol fuel.
To paint a picture, fishing is a primary source of income for fishermen in Lake Victoria. Most of the fishing expeditions at the lake are executed by boats that use ox bow engines which require petrol to effectively function. Additionally, most fishing is done at night and in the deeper parts of the Lake. And so, to guarantee a smooth mission, sufficient fuel should be available and on time.
The recent fuel crisis in Kenya has, however, altered a great deal of Lake Victoria fishermen’s program. One fisherman, for instance, lamented in an interview that due to the current irregularities in fuel availability he risks missing his scheduled target of 21 days a month of omena fishing. He went on to report that he had already missed three of the scheduled days and would be forced to reduce his daily quantity of omena supply which could cripple his monthly returns and the business entirely.
A recent news broadcast by NTV Kenya further revealed the plights of fishermen in Lake Victoria in the wake of the current fuel scarcity. As it turns out, fishermen have been forced to dock their boats on Lake Victoria shores given their current inability to access fuel. The irregularity in the fishermen’s productivity rate has in turn resulted in a reduction in the supply of fish and omena across the country.
Evidently, livelihoods from all across the board rely heavily on fuel to survive. The current fuel shortage in Kenya is not only a matter of concern for transport by land and air but also (and more importantly), a major concern for transport by sea. Fish traders In Lake Victoria are among the businessmen facing a major setback resulting from this fuel crisis. If the government fails to swiftly mitigate the crisis, then many families may risk losing their sole source of livelihood.