Fish farming takes root in North Rift as region expands income sources

The North Rift region is well known for maize farming and pastoral activities, but now residents are trying their hands on fish farming to diversify revenue streams.

Grain and livestock farmers in Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot and Turkana are also looking at fish farming as a safety net against the increasingly erratic weather patterns, which have resulted in crop failure and animal deaths due to drought.

Turkana County facilitated the setting up of a Sh50 million fish factory in 2019 under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The plant started operations last year, with a processing capacity of a tonne of fish a day.

The project, known as Value Villages, is a fish, feeds and leather processing company, which sources fish from locals, producing fish fillets. They use the waste to make poultry feed and fish leather products.

Related products

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, fish and related products can contribute to the food security of Kenyans through consumption, jobs creation and income and trade.

In Kenya, the average national per-capita fish consumption rate is 3.7 kilogrammes per year compared to the global average rate of almost 20 kilogrammes.

The highest consumption rate is in the main fisheries near Lake Victoria and at the coast. The Mount Kenya region and pastoral communities in parts of the Rift Valley have the lowest consumption rate. Tilapia is the main fish of choice, although more consumers are now taking up dried sardines (Omena) and Nile Perch fillet.

Uasin Gishu has launched an initiative, which promotes fish farming by restocking dams in the area using 100,000 fingerlings it received from the national government.

The county supplied Kerita and Kesses dams with 40,000 fingerlings. Six other dams are each expected to receive 10,000 fingerlings. The county is also sourcing its own 500,000 fingerlings for restocking 24 dams.

The county has banned activities such as the washing of clothes and motorbikes in the dams to avoid contaminating the fish.

Fish Friday

More than 1,800 farmers have ventured into fish farming in the county. However, they are unable to meet the demand, forcing traders to bring in supplies from elsewhere.

“Traders and owners of eateries import an estimated two tonnes of fish from Uganda per day for consumption in Eldoret and other urban centres in the county,” said Uasin Gishu Agriculture executive Samuel Yego.

Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago says the county is pushing for the establishment in Eldoret of a branch of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) to back the fish farming initiatives.

To aid consumption, the county has launched the Fish Friday initiative, which trains residents in the preparation and consumption of fish in a partnership with the University of Eldoret.

“Fish is becoming a staple food and alternative source of meat. Many people are being advised to reduce the consumption of red meat and to take white meat instead. We are recommending fish,” said Mr Mandago.

“We have our Fish Friday and we recently approached KMFRI director-general James Njiru to discuss the possibility of also establishing an institute in our county so that our farmers can be able to access training, innovations and technology and also help us sustain production.”

Prof Njiru said locals were likely to earn more from fishing farming within a short period than traditional maize and wheat farming.

“The county approached us for partnership. We think it is a very good venture. A county like Nyeri, which previously didn’t have much to do with fish is a leading producer of fish today…diversification is good for the blue economy,” said Prof Njiru.

He added that the marine agency is ready to train fish farmers in Uasin Gishu.

Cattle raids

Further north in West Pokot, communities in Riting and Reres, surrounding Turkwel Dam, have not known peace for many years due to rampant cattle raids and banditry.

Following peace talks that have now brought back calm, the West Pokot County introduced fingerlings in Turkwel Dam, opening a window for the Pokot and Turkana to invest in meaningful income-generating activities to better their lives.

Eating well

Turkwel Beach Management Unit chairman Lopuo Lotelekwang said the introduction of fish in the dam boosted security. Some of the residents who used to engage in cattle rustling now focus on fishing to earn a living.

“Before 2017, most locals were unaware of the importance of this dam, but after the county administration introduced fingerlings here two years ago, they have now embraced fishing, and they can earn between Sh1,500 and Sh3,000 a day,” he said.

“Now people are eating well because there is plenty of food, and Pokot fishermen can go sell them on the Turkana side, as far as Kainuk.”

Growing demand

In Elgeyo Marakwet, the county has joined the Eat More Fish Campaign, run by the Agriculture ministry, to boost fish consumption and farming.

Experts see these fish farming initiatives in the North Rift, complementing the ones in central Kenya, as key to meeting growing demand as Kenya’s traditional fishing grounds such as lakes Victoria and Naivasha are feeling the strain of overexploitation and pollution. The degradation of the environment has also affected fish in the lakes due to population pressure.

Studies conducted on inland lakes in Uganda, including Lake Victoria, which three East African countries share, indicate that indigenous fish species have also shrunk in size due to a rise in temperature in the water bodies.