Homa Bay, Kenya | By Michael Wandati | Vendors in Homa Bay, located in the Southern part of Nyanza, along the southern shores of Lake Victoria – Africa’s largest Fresh water lake are grappling with a continuous shortage of omena (silver cyprinid), which has led to escalating prices and shrinking profit margins.
The scarcity of omena has caused a significant hike in its cost, with vendors now purchasing a 10-kilogram bucket at twice the usual market price, which previously stood at Shs 1,000 before the shortage began.
Margaret Anyango, a vendor at the Homa Bay fish market, expressed her frustration over the price surge, stating that it has become increasingly difficult to earn a reasonable profit from her sales due to the inflated costs.
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“We cannot make any profit from selling omena, and at the end of the day, we have very little earnings to take home,” she said.
Vendors have been forced to raise the price of omena, but many buyers are reluctant to make purchases due to the higher costs.
Mary Ayako, another vendor, attributed the shortage to Ugandan security officers, who she claimed have restricted fishermen from accessing fishing grounds on their side of the lake.
She urged the government to intervene and resolve the issue so that businesses can return to normal and the omena supply can stabilize.
