GROWTH: 

Fish farming, a practice considered cultural, and a preserve for 

communities around Lake Victoria basin and the coast region, is gradually being

embraced by all.

This has been proved by a growing list of farmers particularly from counties in Central

region known for cash crops such as tea and coffee who are adopting fish rearing as a

new stream to diversify their income.

According to Aquaculture Business Development Programme National (ABDP)

Coordinator Sammy Macharia, already 2,000 farmers drawn from 15 counties who are

beneficiaries of the Sh15 billion programme in Western and Central regions, are

engaged into serious fish farming. 

“When we rolled out this programme two years ago, the number of fish farmers was

very low and the practice was being done informally.

We can, however, now report that at least 2,000 farmers in the said counties are

generating good income,” he said.

Those already into it are gradually increasing their annual average fish production

capacity from 10 kgs to 50 kgs with hopes that the production will go up to a tonne per

farmer per year. 

Monthly basis 

A farmer at Nyaribo village in Nyeri County, Mukui wa Kamunguna said that with skills

that he has acquired so far, he is managing to produce the said average kilos on a
monthly basis and even surpassing, noting that though he is yet to break-even, the

returns cannot be regretted.

Kamunguna who has also opted to turn into value addition by selling cooked fish is also

buying raw fish from surrounding local farmers.

“I am surprised that demand for fish in my locality can be that high. People are coming

in their numbers to buy cooked fish and this has forced me to buy raw fish from locals to

satisfy my growing market,” he said.