If there is one food variety that has struggled to win confidence onto the dinner tables of Mt. Kenya residents for ages, fish takes top honours. But now, a freshwater fish known as trout has received a free pass.
Trout is now complementing the protein diet of a people famed for their delicacy of githeri and mukimo- whose ingredients are boiled maize and beans and mashed with potatoes and traditional greens for the latter.
Trout only thrives in cold, fresh flowing water with high oxygen content. Mt. Kenya forest, a source to tens of rivers and hundreds of streams offers a thriving habitat for the fish species.
Trout was introduced in Kenya in 1905 by the British settlers, according to a book, ‘The Biology of Trout in Kenya Colony’, written in the 1940s by Vernon Van Someren, then a biologist at the River Research and Development Centre in Sagana, Kirinyaga County.
Low preference of fish diet in Mt. Kenya, inhabited circularly by Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities is cultural because the traditional diet of their forefathers did not include aquatic animals and equally, poultry.
As recent as in the 1980s, fish referenced in derogatory terms and cooking it with a family sufuria could easily attract the wrath of villagers with any utensil used discarded for future non-cooking use.
But today, fishermen in Mt. Kenya forest say they cannot meet the demand for trout fish, even at the village level.
Despite an abundance of trout along Mt. Kenya forest, it has taken time to become one of the preferred diet options first because it was associated with the colonialists, who set many fishing camps around edges of Mt. Kenya forest, complete with accommodating facilities popularly known as karandi.
The growing habit of healthy eating has now opened the kitchen vaults to trout, a delicious fish with soft bones and a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids just like salmon, sardines or tuna.
“We are unable to meet the demand from the villagers. We have people in Nairobi and Mombasa who want us to be sending them every week. But the stocks are not enough,” said Mwai Kabira, one of the many fishermen, based in Kimunye village, Kirinyaga County.
“This fish only survives in a special environment, clean flowing and cold water and I think that is why it is gaining popularity. It is not contaminated with chemicals,” he said.
Frank Muriithi, another fisherman popularly known as Barobaro says preference of trout over tilapia, mudfish and other varieties sold at the Sagana River bridge along Nairobi-Nyeri road is that they have fewer bones and scales.
“The delicious savour of trout makes it superior over other varieties, tilapia, for example, is too bonny and contains a lot of scales, similar to mudfish,” says the veteran fisherman of over 50 years.
He says that fishermen are currently overwhelmed by the increased demand for the delicacy by residents but sadly reveals that the demand may not be met with the ongoing illegal fishing in the rivers.
Barobaro recalls with the nostalgia of a fishing camp which was located at Karandi along Mount Kenya forest belt and which he says needs to be revived.
“County governments across Mt. Kenya need to consider the revival of the fishing camps at Karandis, that will see a significant economic boost from tourists as well as creating a unique sporting activity,” says Barobaro.
Further, residents nearby the river bends have called on the fisheries department and the county government to establish activities that focus on more breeding of the variety as well as putting up measures to prevent extinction due to the infiltration of unlicensed fishers.
“The government can adopt creative initiatives that offer an adaptive solution to the already evident climate change impacts, low river water flow and deforestation to safeguard the aquatic life,” says Mwai.
He says activities such as tree planting can reduce conflicts between the upstream and downstream communities as well as enhancing and protection of the ever-diminishing biodiversity.
James Wanyika another renowned fisher shares a similar sentiment appealing to the government to promote commercial fish farming in the upper region.
“I can tell you for sure that demand for trout fish in Kenya supersedes its supply by a huge margin but instead of producing locally, we often import and therefore, lack of utilization of available water resources for trout production is an obvious possibility for a wasted commercial venture,” he said.
“With an established market, we can even come up with butcheries for our homegrown fresh fish and even sell to other counties, the good thing with our fish is that they are fresh and nutritious which puts them on high demand,” he says.
He adds there is a need for serious breeding of the cold trout to meet the demand.
“This will also go a long way to safeguard the endangered species,” notes Wanyika.
“On a good day, I get five fish, which is usually for my family consumption. I also sell a kilogram between Sh600 to Sh800 to some of my neighbours,” he reveals.
Return of fisheries patrol
Kiura Kamau, a renowned retired fisheries patrol officer also from Kimunye village blames the intrusion on laxity within the fisheries department calling for the need to establish community-based patrol troops to watch the rivers and keep off unlicensed fishermen.
“Fish life generally depends on a healthy forest ecosystem but the overseers have been reluctant to safeguard the aquiline,” he told the FinancialDay.
He recalled days when fishermen were allowed to fish a maximum of six fish with daily documentation of the numbers and well-maintained records at the fisheries department located at Karandi.
This, he says would prevent offences such as undue theft and unlawful fishing using toxic chemicals or fishing nets.
Kiura notes that trout fish farming has a high market demand and lucrative revenues which can provide an alternative source of income for the locals.
He advised the county government to workout activities which have multiple benefits to the community geared towards sustainable development with a focus on increasing the adoption of trout fish farming in the region.
“Through engaging communities, the county governments in Mt. Kenya can create employment opportunities by first training the youth on the importance of protecting aqua life and then harvesting the fish for sale,” he adds noting the venture has great potential to thrive in the region.
[Editing by Steve Mbogo]