The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute has partnered with Tharaka Nithi county to build the National Riverine Aquaculture Research and Training Centre.
The Sh1 billion project will be located in Mutonga, Tharaka Nithi, where the county government has donated 10 acres for the project.
The institution will focus on reducing barriers faced by the fisheries sector and contribute to the development of the blue economy.
Once completed, the institute will incorporate a fish hatchery, wet and dry laboratory, training resource centre, administration block, accommodation, museum and a nature trail.
Addressing the media at the KMFRI headquarters in Mombasa, KMFRI director general James Njiru said that they have invested Sh20 million into the project.
“For now we have set aside about Sh20 million to start with, but we will be going back to the government to see if we are able to get more funding as we move on. We are doing it in phases and we are projecting to spend almost a billion,” Njiru said.
He spoke as he welcomed leaders from Tharaka Nithi county who are on a week-long working visit at KMFRI key projects and centers along the Coast.
Njiru said the institute will be a game changer for the fish industry in the Mt Kenya region best known for tea and coffee farming.
Once completed, the hatchery is expected to produce between 100,000 to 200,000 fish fingerlings per month.
“One done, the project will also play a pivotal role in the establishment of a robust fish industry in the region to help cover the deficit of 400,000 metric turns of fish in the country,” he said.
Karen Karimi, chairperson of the Committee of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock in Tharaka Nithi assembly said they were looking forward to training more youth to engage in fish farming to curb the unemployment in the county.
“We are engaging a number of youths to farm fish in ponds. Once the project is done, we expect more will be trained on the same,” Karimi said.
According to a research by KMFRI last year, 10 fish families and 20 species of fish were discovered in Kathima River in seven landing sites identified during the study.
The results were presented by KMFRI senior research scientist Dr Gladys Okemwa, who stated that most common fish found were Tilapia and the Nile perch.
“We were also able to discover a number of exotic fish species in the river, especially the area where the Kathima River meets with Tana River,” Okwema said.
Kathima River flows south-east through Tharaka Nithi to Tana River county stretching about 120km.