Kenya is set to strengthen its growing aquaculture sector with a planned $3.95 million investment in a new fish feed manufacturing plant at the Olkaria Green Energy Park in Naivasha County. The project, developed by Maxim Agri and Samakgro, aims to increase local aquafeed production and reduce costs for fish farmers.
The planned facility will have the capacity to produce up to 8 metric tons of fish feed per hour and will use 3 megawatts of geothermal power supplied by Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). The use of renewable energy is expected to improve efficiency and support more affordable feed production.
The investment comes as Kenya’s aquaculture industry continues to expand. According to the Kenya Fisheries Service, fish farming output more than doubled between 2017 and 2024, increasing from 12,635 metric tons to 33,423 metric tons. Rising production has created greater demand for locally manufactured, high-quality fish feed.
Feed costs remain a major challenge for aquaculture businesses in Kenya and across Africa. Industry reports indicate that production costs are significantly higher than the global average due to limited domestic feed manufacturing capacity and reliance on imported inputs. Since feed accounts for a large share of aquaculture expenses, increasing local production could help farmers reduce costs and improve profitability.
The new plant is part of a broader trend of investment in Kenya’s aquafeed sector, with other projects also being developed to support the country’s expanding fish-farming industry. By increasing local feed availability and using renewable energy, the initiative could contribute to sustainable growth in Kenya’s aquaculture value chain.
