Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute

Kenya's national authority on aquatic science

KMFRI is a State Corporation established under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act — Kenya's sole government institution mandated to conduct research in marine, freshwater, and aquaculture sciences across all of Kenya's aquatic environments.

Governance & Structure Transparency Documents

Statutory Mandate

"To undertake research in marine, freshwater, and aquaculture sciences and to make research findings available to promote sustainable development of Kenya's fisheries and aquatic resources."

Science, Technology and Innovation Act, Cap. 250 · State Corporation

1979

Established

Field stations

45+

Years of data

320+

Staff

What KMFRI is and does

Mandate & institutional scope

KMFRI's mandate covers the full geographic scope of Kenya's aquatic environments: the 142,400 km² Exclusive Economic Zone of the Indian Ocean, the Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria, the Rift Valley and other inland lakes, Kenya's river systems, and coastal zones. No other government institution holds this cross-cutting mandate.

The mandate has four operational dimensions: scientific research across all aquatic systems; data collection and monitoring; technology development and transfer to the fisheries and aquaculture sector; and advisory services to government, industry, and the public.

KMFRI reports to the State Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy under the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock. Its work is governed by the Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2016 and the Science, Technology and Innovation Act.

Institutional history

1979

KMFRI established

Founded as a government research institution under the then Ministry of Agriculture, focused initially on marine fisheries research at Mombasa.

1984

Lake Victoria expansion

Kisumu station established, extending KMFRI's mandate to freshwater research on Lake Victoria — the largest inland fishery in Africa.

1990s

Aquaculture mandate added

Sangoro Aquaculture Research Station established, adding aquaculture science and technology transfer to KMFRI's mandate. Genetic improvement programme for tilapia begins.

2010s

STI Act reclassification

KMFRI reclassified as a State Corporation under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, clarifying its mandate and governance structure.

2023

Strategic Plan 2023–2028

New five-year strategic plan adopted, focusing on data infrastructure, blue economy intelligence, and science-to-policy translation as primary institutional objectives.

Structure & Accountability

Governance

Organisational Structure

Cabinet Secretary — Agriculture & Livestock

Board of Management

Director-General

Directorate of Marine & Coastal Research

Directorate of Freshwater Research

Directorate of Aquaculture Research

Directorate of Socioeconomic Research

Corporate Services (Finance, HR, ICT, Communications)

Legal basis

Science, Technology and Innovation Act, Cap. 250. State Corporation registered under the State Corporations Act.

Oversight ministry

State Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy, under the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development.

Board composition

Board of Management appointed by the Cabinet Secretary. Includes representatives from the State Department, the scientific community, and public interest sectors. Board meets quarterly.

Financial audit

Annual statutory audit by Kenya's Office of the Auditor-General. Financial statements published in the Annual Report.

Procurement

Governed by the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. KMFRI's tender notices are published on the eCitizen procurement portal.

Senior Leadership

Leadership

Director-General

KMFRI

Institutional mandate, strategic direction, and external representation.

Director of Research

Research Programs

Oversight of all research directorates, scientific quality, and publication strategy.

Director, Corporate Services

Finance & Operations

Finance, human resources, ICT, facilities, and administrative operations.

Head, Partnerships & Policy

External Relations

Donor relations, policy advisory, international partnerships, and communications.

All Scientists & Experts →

Research Divisions

Research directorates

KMFRI organises its scientific work into four research directorates, each with dedicated field stations, laboratory infrastructure, and scientific staff.

Marine & Coastal Research

Oceanography, demersal and pelagic fisheries, coral reef ecology, mangrove science, blue carbon, sea-level monitoring, and EEZ resource assessment. KMFRI's largest directorate by field station count.

Stations: Mombasa HQ · Gazi Bay · Shimoni · Malindi · Kilifi · Lamu

Freshwater Research

Lake Victoria fisheries ecology and management, Rift Valley lakes, limnology, transboundary stock assessment (LVFO), river fisheries, and inland water quality monitoring.

Stations: Kisumu · Kegati · Turkana (Lodwar) · Baringo

Aquaculture Research

Fish genetics and selective breeding, pond culture, cage aquaculture, mariculture, feed development, disease diagnostics, biosecurity, and the SAWA spatial suitability programme.

Stations: Sangoro ARS · Mombasa Mariculture Unit

Socioeconomic Research

Fisheries economics, fish value chains, community livelihoods, gender in fisheries, post-harvest technology, market analysis, and blue economy socioeconomic assessment.

Cross-cutting across all stations · Primary base: Mombasa HQ, Kisumu

Public Institution — Public Records

Transparency & governance documents

Strategic Plan 2023–2028

KMFRI's five-year institutional priorities, programme structure, and resourcing framework.

Download PDF →

Annual Reports

Programme outputs, expenditure, and audited financial highlights. Reports from 2021 to 2024 available.

View Annual Reports →

Auditor-General Reference

KMFRI is subject to annual statutory audit as a State Corporation. Audit letters available on request.

Request Documents →

Open Data Policy

All KMFRI datasets produced under government funding are published under CC BY 4.0. Data access and licensing terms.

Data Policy →