Title : Potential of high-value freshwater shellfish farming in the Kenya North Rift region, environmental suitability, export markets, and infrastructure requirements
Abstract:
Ornamental aquaculture offers a high-value, low-volume enterprise that can be developed in places where conventional food-fish farming is constrained by land, cold temperatures or fragmented markets. This study assessed the potential for ornamental fish farming across the eight counties of Kenya's North Rift Economic Bloc: Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Baringo, Turkana, West Pokot and Samburu. A regional feasibility design combined county development plans, national aquaculture policy documents, published research on ornamental fish culture and trade, and an expert-weighted multi-criteria decision analysis. Seven criteria were scored on a five-point scale and converted to a 0-100 suitability index. Candidate species were screened for thermal tolerance, production-system compatibility, market robustness and biosecurity. Three enterprise scenarios were then used to estimate saleable fish, gross sales and direct employment. Uasin Gishu ranked first (84.4), followed by Trans Nzoia (80.2), Nandi (78.0), Elgeyo-Marakwet (74.3), Baringo (71.6), Turkana (69.6), West Pokot (64.0) and Samburu (59.0). The analysis indicates that the region should not be treated as one uniform production zone. Cool highlands are particularly suitable for goldfish and koi in outdoor ponds, while greenhouse tanks and warm valley/lowland sites broaden opportunities for guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails, bettas, angelfish and selected captive-bred African cichlids. Under transparent illustrative assumptions, a pilot network of 25 enterprises could generate about KES 45 million in annual gross sales and 63 direct jobs, while an export-ready regional hub of 150 enterprises could reach about KES 840 million and 600 direct jobs. These are scenarios rather than forecasts and require validation through pilot production and market contracts. The paper concludes that North Rift ornamental aquaculture is technically plausible and economically promising when organized as a zoned cluster with a central hatchery, quarantine and packing hub in the Eldoret area, satellite grow-out units, strict live-fish movement controls, farmer training and market development.
