Perceptions of the Impact of Blue Economy Sector on the Development of Mombasa County

The thesis investigated the perceptions of the impact of the blue economy sector, such as fishery, tourism, and maritime transport on Mombasa County development. In assessing the perceptions of the blue economy sector on the development of Mombasa County, the study answered the research questions, including, 1) how does the fishery sector influence development of Mombasa County? 2) How do tourism activities influence the development of Mombasa County? 3) How do maritime transport networks influence the development of Mombasa County? After establishing the research questions, the study used the sustainable development theory. Further, the study adopted a descriptive and mixed-method research approach. Primary data was collected at the household level and from key informants, including Kenya maritime officials, hotel and tour company managers and owners, shipping company managers, heads of fishermen associations, county government officials, and national government line ministry officials. At the household level, the study interviewed 106 participants and their responses analyzed by the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. On the other hand, the study interviewed 10 key informants, and their responses were qualitatively analyzed. The study found that fishery, maritime transports, and tourism had positive developmental impacts on Mombasa County. However, the national government provided limited support for small-scale fisheries. Maritime transport had few ferries, and the tourism sector lacked social responsibility. The study recommends that the government and private sector should support small scale fisheries and increase the capacities of ferries. Moreover, the study recommends that the tourism sector should be sensitized on social responsibility. Future studies should examine factors surrounding political and environmental development in the blue economy of Mombasa County.