Fish farmers in Kaptama ward, Mt Elgon, in Bungoma, are counting losses after heavy rains caused flooding.
Kororia Chemeseng, who started fish farming in 2002, told the Star on Sunday they usually incur heavy losses when it rains heavily.
“This week I lost my fish to the heavy rains,” Chemeseng said.
He said it rained on Monday last week and 1,000 fish were washed away after the pond walls were destroyed by floods.
Chemeseng said he lost fish worth Sh42,000.
“The fish ponds aren’t cemented, they're just held by weak soils that collapse when it rains heavily," he said.
“I had invested heavily in this fish farming. I was planning to harvest the fish so I can get money to pay fees for my children who reported to school on Monday.”
Chemeseng said he was given fingerlings by the government after showing interest in fish farming.
He said he spent Sh25,000 to set up the fish pond and a further Sh16,000 to buy food for the fish.
Chemeseng urged the county government to help fish farmers build permanent fish ponds to prevent frequent losses.
He said apart from floods, fish farmers also incur losses from diseases and predators.
“There was a year I lost all my fish to disease. Experts advised us to rear mudfish and tilapia, which do well in Mt Elgon.”
Edited by A.N
