The government has pledged to step up support for aquaculture as part of its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), citing the high cost of fish feed as the main barrier limiting growth in the sector.
A senior official at the State Department for Livestock, Newton Kariuki, said reforms and new investments are being rolled out to make animal feed more accessible and affordable, while creating opportunities for young people and private investors.
“We are encouraging commercialization of government land for feed production, promoting warehouse storage to reduce post-harvest losses, and reviewing regulations to make inputs more affordable. Dialogue between public and private actors is key because no value chain can succeed without both sides working together,” Kariuki said.
He added that increasing subdivision of land into small, uneconomical parcels threatens long-term food security.
“If we continue to lock ourselves in small plots, food security will be compromised. At some point, we must reflect as a country on how land is used for agricultural production,” he cautioned.
On her part, the Director of Lattice, Joe Maye, emphasized that greater collaboration between government, the private sector, and producers is critical to unlocking aquaculture’s potential.
Maye said that addressing logistical hurdles and easing restrictions on cross-border trade of feed inputs would significantly lower costs for farmers.
The Director noted that aquaculture has already demonstrated its potential as a job creator. Although farmed fish account for just 20 percent of national production, the sub-sector supports over 70,000 jobs, compared to capture fisheries, which provide 55 percent of the catch but employ about 69,000 people.
At the same time, founder of Chasing Sun, Josiah Gitonga said inefficiencies in the supply chain and reliance on imports of raw materials such as maize and soy continue to drive up the cost of fish feed.
“The biggest challenge is the high cost linked to logistics and delays in sourcing raw materials from outside Kenya. If inputs were grown locally at scale instead of imported, costs would drop significantly,” he said.
Gitonga explained that maize imported from Tanzania often becomes more expensive by the time it reaches Kenyan millers, due to transportation delays and surcharges.
“If the same produce was available in Naivasha or Nakuru, millers would cut costs and farmers would benefit from more affordable feed,” he observed.
Gitonga added that the development of aggregation centers and access to larger farms would stabilize supply and reduce prices.
“The five acres that most smallholders own cannot sustain commercial feed production. Large-scale farms, supported through government allocations, would change the game,” he said.
Stakeholders promoting technology adoption have pointed to innovations that can raise productivity. Affordable oxygen testing devices for ponds, now available through farmer cooperatives, are enabling groups to monitor water quality and improve fish survival rates.
Training on feed conversion techniques is similarly helping farmers reduce wastage and increase yields.
Founder of Eco-green Solutions Ltd, Molly Atieno said that they are pioneering Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming as an alternative protein source for fish feed.
By converting organic waste into larvae, her enterprise supplies a sustainable and cost-effective product to smallholder farmers.
“With Black Soldier Fly farming, we cut feed costs while creating jobs for young people, from collecting organic waste to processing and distribution,” Atieno said.
Atieno said her biggest challenge is limited production capacity, as she currently producing only 500 kilograms of larvae per month against a market demand of four tonnes.
Transporting larvae to distant clients also increases costs for both suppliers and farmers.
“Many youths lack the equipment needed to process the larvae at scale. With better facilities, shredders, and dryers, we could transform BSF into value-added fish feed and reach broader markets,” she explained.
Atieno stressed that mentorship and training are vital to sustaining youth participation.
“I have trained many young people in BSF farming, but without follow-up they give up. With the right support, I can train over 5,000 youths in the next five years and ensure farmers in the Lake Region fully adopt BSF,” she said.
Atieno outlined her long-term ambition of building one of Kenya’s largest feed milling companies based on insect protein.
“In five years, I want to see Black Soldier Fly fully embraced here, farmers accessing affordable feed, and thousands of jobs created for young people. That is the journey we are walking,” she said.
Atieno’s story highlights the resilience and innovation of Kenya’s youth, showing how grassroots solutions can complement government policy and private sector investment in securing the future of aquaculture.
By Naif Rashid
