Shem Oirere

Shem Oirere

Contributing Editor reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

Shem Oirere is a Kenyan journalist who previously worked for daily newspapers as a general news correspondent, business reporter and sub-editor before turning to full-time freelancing. For the more than 20 years, he has covered various sectors of Africa’s economy including agriculture, food processing, and maritime industries. A graduate of the University of South Africa, he has traveled within and outside Africa covering various industry events that have a bearing on the continent’s economy on behalf of different international consumer and trade publications. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.


Author Archive

Published on
September 2, 2026
Senegal’s National Agency for Aquaculture (ANA) has begun installing the West African country’s first offshore aquaculture project as part of a larger national plan to expand marine commercial aquaculture, adequately address domestic demand for seafood, and mitigate the impact of wild capture on vulnerable stocks. ANA, which is a government department under the Senegal Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, recently announced it… Read More
Published on
September 1, 2026
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has instituted a new fisheries and aquaculture law that aims to boost fish production, combat illegal fishing, and synergize the country's seafood industry with the rest of East Africa’s value chain. DRC President Félix Tshisekedi approved the new legislation and, by doing so, replaced a law that had been in place since 1937. Government officials had long expressed concern the existing framework was… Read More
Published on
August 31, 2026
Namibia Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani has approved the extension of a project permit for African Aquaculture Company (AAC)’s planned 51,000-metric-ton (MT) Atlantic salmon farm in Lüderitz Bay. Zaamwani extended the permit from 15 years to 25 years, granting the NAD 2.5 billion (USD 152.9 million, EUR 131.5 million) project greater flexibility as it continues to develop. “The extension of our… Read More
Published on
August 21, 2026
A Norwegian-funded aquaculture project in East Africa has helped establish five training and distribution hubs that aim to train aquaculture entrepreneurs, scale sustainable seafood production, and boost food security. The EUR 2 million (USD 2.3 million) Samaki Poa project was launched in 2022 and implemented in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. The initiative helped establish facilities that offer both practical and digital training on the entire… Read More
Published on
August 14, 2026
Eemnes, Netherlands-based feed manufacturer Maxim Agri Holding has signed an agreement with the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to become an investor in a USD 3.95 million (EUR 3.42 million) fish feed plant, located 120 kilometers northwest of Nairobi. Maxim Agri has become the fifth investor in the facility, which once fully operational will have the capacity to produce 8 metric tons (MT) of feed an hour.  “We are delighted to… Read More
Published on
August 14, 2026
Rwandan Parliament has repealed the East African nation’s nearly 20-year-old fisheries legislation and replaced it with a more streamlined law that aims to better manage the country’s inland fisheries and aquaculture subsector. In late July, the Rwandan government approved the draft of the new law, which covers animal husbandry, animal health, and fisheries. The law replaces multiple fragmented pieces of legislation dating back to 2008,… Read More
Published on
August 11, 2026
Conservation NGO Oceana has long maintained that several fishing vessels flagged to Spain or owned by Spanish interests off the coast of West Africa obscure their vessel ownership information and systematically engage in IUU activity. In its latest attempt to stop the practice, the group is now pushing for amendments to Spain’s fisheries law, the draft of which is currently being reviewed by Spanish Congress. Oceana Senior Policy Advisor… Read More
Published on
August 11, 2026
South Sudan has partnered with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to launch a USD 41.8 million (EUR 36.2 million) project to strengthen its food security and improve rural livelihoods for more than 110,000 people across the East African nation. The project, dubbed the Sustainable Agriculture Development Project (SADEP), includes investing in South Sudan's fisheries sector to increase fish production and meet current… Read More
Published on
July 31, 2026
The Tanzanian seaweed sector has been the recipient of several funding initiatives, as well as the subject of government commitments toward its expansion over the past few years. For instance, in 2024, Zanzibar, Tanzania-based seafood firm Zanzibar Seaweed Company (ZASCO) signed an agreement with a financial lender to back the expansion of seaweed-processing infrastructure in the region, including a factory on the island of Pemba. The same year,… Read More
Published on
July 30, 2026
Danish aquaculture technology company Globaq Solutions has signed an agreement with Fiskarna Aqua to develop an integrated aquaculture hub in Algeria. Formerly operating as Billund Aquatech before rebranding in early 2025, Globaq Solutions said the agreement with aquaculture development firm Fiskarna Aqua marks the start of a “long-term strategic partnership to develop Algeria’s first integrated aquaculture ecosystem, combining international… Read More