For close to two decades, members of Kemuka self-help in Kagaa Maragua have been engaging in poultry keeping for a livelihood
However, for the past five years, increased theft of chicken in the area saw them incur huge losses and they eventually gave up on the venture.
Initially, the group had over 100 members but a majority dropped off along the way leaving only 14 of them.
In 2001, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was looking for farmers’ groups for funding on various projects.
Kemuka made a proposal for fish farming and they got funding to start off the project. Ann Wairimu, the chairperson of the group says the organization did a fish pond, gave a dam liner and bought fingerings for them.
Wairimu says they were supposed to run a common project at the homestead of one of the members but they felt it was better if each would get their individual pond.
Through joint efforts, they mobilized resources and managed to do the pods and put fingerings, but having very little knowledge on fish keeping, their first attempt was full of challenges and the majority of the fish died due to poor handling.
Securing the market was also an uphill task and this saw the fish stay in the pond for close to two years which saw them incur huge losses especially on buying feeds which are quite expensive.
“One could get at least one client in a week and you go to the pond to get that one fish for them and wait for another to show up” said Wairimu.
“We resorted to eating the remaining fish to clear the pond because they had overgrown and would not be suitable for market” she added.
The chairperson said for the second round, they toured a fish farm for basic training after which they bought fingerings which are now three months old.
She said they opted for tilapia which is commonly eaten in the country and is less expensive in the market.
“We are hoping this time round we are going to get better results and our fish will mature ready for market,” she remarked.
“Our main target is the local eateries but we are also trying to promote fish eating in the neighborhood to expand our market,” she added.
Wairumi is appealing to the county government to help them purchase refrigerators where they can be storing the fish after harvesting.
She also said they require water storage tanks for topping up the ponds as the area is relatively dry and water levels go down during the dry season.
Ruth Wairimu, a member of the group says fish farming would serve as the best alternative source of income for the members who are at an advanced age.
Wairumu says they are not able to go for menial jobs and the venture which is less demanding comes in handy for them.
She says after the training on how to handle the fish, they are feeding them well and not a single one has died and they are growing fast.
“Fish farming is not demanding, you are only required to feed them and this gives you time to attend to other duties” she said.
She also says the maturity period for the fish is about six months which is ideal for any farmer who is into commercial farming.
Joseph Mungai another member has lamented over the high cost of fish feeds with a bag of 25 kilograms going for Sh7,000.
Mungai said the members are forced to contribute money to buy one bag which they share equally and go back to the shop after it’s finished.
He said they are forced to look for other alternative foods such as omena which is cheaper and planting sweet potato vines where the fish will feed on the leaves.
“We should be trained on how to make fish feed using the locally available materials without compromising the quality as this would save us a lot of money” remarked Mungai.
Jane Njuguna, also a fish farmer, urged the county government to help them secure a market for their produce for them to get better returns.
“The county government has been securing markets for farmers in other sectors and we are seeking the same support for our venture,” said Waruinu
She said they are currently banking on the neighbors and local eateries but they need a bigger market.
“We are also encouraging the people around to add fish in their menu because of its nutritional benefits,” she added.
By Rebecca Wangari
