Research Scientist Socioeconomics Fisheries Socioeconomics & Community Development Co-management • Climate Adaptation • Plastic Pollution • Citizen Science Location KMFRI Kisumu Station Years of Experience 7 years (Joined KMFRI in 2019) Department Socioeconomics Metadata / Search Keywords Fisheries Socioeconomics; Fisheries Co-management; Climate Change Adaptation; Plastic Pollution; Citizen Science; Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Lake Victoria Fisheries; Poverty Alleviation; Environmental Conservation; Blue Economy and Sustainable Development | Research Focus: Advancing sustainable fisheries and aquatic resource management through socioeconomic research, community engagement, and evidence-based policy development to enhance livelihoods, climate resilience, and environmental conservation in the Lake Victoria Basin. Patrick Otuo Wanguche is a Research Scientist (Socioeconomics) at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Kisumu Station, with over ten years of experience in aquatic ecosystems research, environmental conservation, and community engagement. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with Information Technology from Maseno University (Second Class Honours, Upper Division, 2012), completed a Senior Management Course at the Kenya School of Government, Embu Campus, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Anthropology at Maseno University, focusing on indigenous knowledge systems in fisheries. Patrick joined KMFRI in 2014 as a Research Intern at the Mombasa Station, where he worked in the Oceanography and Hydrology Department under the mentorship of Dr. Eric Okuku. His work focused on environmental pollution monitoring, mangrove restoration, and community empowerment in collaboration with the Mikoko Pamoja Foundation led by Dr. James G. Kairo. During this period, he co-founded the KMFRI Marine Debris Volunteer Program, which promoted voluntary beach clean-ups along the Kenyan coast. In 2019, he was employed as an Assistant Research Scientist and started at KMFRI Kisumu Station, where he has since risen to the position of Research Scientist. Between November 2023 and May 2024, he participated in the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme in Fisheries Policy and Management in Iceland. His research, "Assessing the Efficacy of Fisheries Co-management Amidst the Impact of Climate Change: A Case Study of Lake Victoria, Kenya," examined the role of co-management institutions in enhancing community resilience to climate change. His research interests include fisheries socioeconomics, climate change adaptation, co-management, citizen science, plastic pollution reduction, poverty alleviation, and indigenous knowledge systems. Widely recognized as KMFRI's "Plastic Pollution Champion," Patrick continues to advance sustainable development through research, policy engagement, and community-led conservation initiatives, including the KMFRI Lake Debris Volunteer Program in the Lake Victoria Basin. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Selected Publications Lancker, K., Barrett, C. B., Fiorella, K. J., Aura, C. M., Awandu, H., Awuor, F. J., & Otuo, P. (2026). Understanding nutrient-contaminant tradeoffs in fish consumer preferences: Evidence from Kenya. Food Policy, 142, Article 103120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2026.103120 Aura, C.M., Gichuru, N., Otuo, P., Wandago, S., Owino, B., Nyamweya, C., & Odoli, C. (2026). Quantification of macroplastics and litter dynamics in a highly active bay of Lake Victoria. Journal of Great Lakes Research, Article 102824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102824 Fiorella, K. J., Bageant, E. R., Mojica, L., Obuya, J. A., Ochieng, J., Olela, P., Otuo, P. W., Onyango, H. O., Aura, C. M., & Okronipa, H. (2021). Small-scale fishing households facing COVID-19: The case of Lake Victoria, Kenya. Fisheries Research, 237, 105856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105856 Okronipa, H., Bageant, E., Mojica, L., Owiti, H., Otuo, P., Obuya, J., Olela, P., Ochieng, J., Aura, C., & Fiorella, K. (2021). Household Food Insecurity and Dietary Diversity Among Kenyan Households During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Current Developments in Nutrition, Vol 5(2), p. 241. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzab029_042 Onyango, H.O., Ochiewo, J., Aura, C.M., Kayanda, R., Sunil, S.S., Otuo, P.W., Obuya, J.A. and Njiru, J.M. (2021). The Lost Coin: Redefining the economic and financial value of small-scale fisheries, the case of Lake Victoria, Kenya. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 4(1), p.100221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100221 Aura, C. M., Nyamweya, C. S., Odoli, C. O., Owiti, H., Njiru, J. M., Otuo, P. W., Waithaka, E., & Malala, J. (2020). Consequences of calamities and their management: the case of COVID-19 pandemic and flooding on inland capture fisheries in Kenya. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 46(6), 1767-1775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2020.09.007 Links |
