New app connecting sardine fishers directly to buyers launches in Kenya

KENYA – Researchers at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), with support from the European Union’s Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), are launching Kenya’s first mobile trading platform for sardine (omena) fishers. 

This app aims to provide fisher groups in Lake Victoria’s omena industry direct market access, reducing their reliance on intermediaries.

The program is starting with two initial Beach Management Units (BMUs) from Marenga and Dunga beaches in Busia and Kisumu counties. 

These units consist of a network of fishers, women processors, and boat owners working together to collectively sell their omena, explained Nelson Ojijo, a food technology expert and associate professor at JKUAT leading the project. 

This approach, he noted, opens up direct wholesale and retail market opportunities for fishers and processors while helping them achieve more competitive prices through pooled resources.

Set for release in late November, the app, provisionally called The Omena Trading App, is designed to allow BMUs, independent fishers, and processors to connect with buyers without needing brokers. 

The platform could significantly increase fisher and processor earnings, potentially tripling their income by bypassing intermediaries.

Lake Victoria is the only source of omena in Kenya, a species that plays a vital role in the country’s food and agricultural economy. 

Omena accounts for approximately 35% of the fish consumed by Kenyans. However, most omena is processed for animal feed, with around two-thirds going into protein and calcium supplements for poultry and pig diets, helping improve growth rates and egg production. 

Kenya’s omena industry, valued at approximately Sh25.8 million (US$200,000), constitutes a third of the Lake Victoria fishery’s total value, highlighting its economic importance to both Kenya and Uganda.

The fishers currently earn between Sh20 and Sh30 (US$0.16 – US$0.23) per kilogram of omena, though the product’s price can rise significantly depending on its destination in Kenya. 

Market data from the Kenya Agricultural Market Information System (KAMIS) as of the most recent Sunday shows retail prices for omena at Sh100 (US$0.78) per kilogram in Nairobi’s Gikomba market. 

In Migori County’s Rongo market, wholesale rates reach Sh400 (US$3.10) per kilogram. 

In Bungoma’s Kamukuywa market, wholesale prices recently peaked at Sh1,125 (US$8.72) per kilogram, reflecting limited supply in these regions.

Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE