Despite having no formal education, Emmanuel Masuko has always believed in the power of people working together and demonstrated great leadership. He has led efforts to uplift the lives of his fellow fishers through the work of Amkeni group, a KEMFED grantee at Old Ferry in Kilifi County.
office-cum-store in Kilifi Central
He was among the founders of a self-help group of over 30 fishers and traders operating at the Old Ferry fish-landing site in Kilifi County.
Unfortunately, some of the leaders mismanaged the group, says the soft-spoken Emmanuel: “We contributed money but did not see any benefits as the group disintegrated.”
Disappointed but determined, several members, mostly foot fishers mobilized and registered Amkeni Fishermen Group, with Emmanuel as the chairman. The new group’s name (Kiswahili for “let’s rise up”) reflected the members’ resolve to make a fresh start.
The beginning was difficult to earn. “The members either went fishing on foot close to the shore or waited for long periods to get a chance on a boat belonging to other fishers,” he explains
However, they did not lose hope. By 2021, they had saved Sh200,000 from members’ monthly contributions and fish sales. They used the money to secure a Sh500,000 loan from a micro-credit institution and bought a 24-foot fiberglass boat.
The boat made a big difference. It meant the members could go fishing further off-shore. “We started getting more and bigger fish,’’ says Emmanuel.
Although earnings were more, the group felt they could do better. It still took up to four days for some members to get a chance to go fishing on the boat as each trip could only take a crew of four.
In 2022, Amkeni applied for a KEMFSED grant, which they got at the end of the year. They bought their second, bigger boat together with modern fishing gear, including nets, a fish finder, a GPS unit, and safety gear.
One of their members was sponsored for coxswain instruction and passed on the knowledge and skills in safety and other areas to the rest of the team.
With two boats, eight of the 16 male members could go fishing at the same time. None of them goes foot-fishing anymore.
On its maiden trip, the new boat brought in a 300kg catch that included tuna and kingfish.
The group buys all the fish they catch and resells to members, including the two women fish traders. After deducting the costs of running the boat and other expenses, they save the rest.
The combined income from the catch brought in by the two boats enabled the group to pay off the microfinance loan.
The group used Sh250,000 of their own savings and an equal amount from the project to lease land and build an office where they hold meetings and keep fishing equipment, including the two boat engines.
Says Emmanuel: “We used to meet at the landing site or rent space for meetings before we built the office. We pay the landowner Sh2,000 a month. The office has raised our standing in the community.”
Members have also started realizing benefits from the fishing enterprise.
Brian Mkoka says he earns up to Sh6,000 from every fishing trip, which is far more than he used to earn working on a commercial prawn fishing trawler.
“I used to be at sea for months and missed the opportunity to be with my family and care for my ailing mother. I have more time at home,” says Brian.
He has used his earnings to renovate his family house and replace the traditional makuti (thatch) roof with iron sheets.
Kaungú Nyanje can now pay fees for his eldest daughter in a boarding school.
The two women traders in the group get the first opportunity to buy fish from the boat, assuring them of reliable supply.
Emmanuel is confident Amkeni will continue to benefit members even more. “The equipment we have like a fish finder and GPS unit will enable us to go further into the ocean where we can get more fish.” The group plans to buy a piece of land and rear cattle to complement incomes from fishing, especially during kusi, the low season when the sea is rough and fishers stay for days without work.
