The Maasai pastoralists of Kenya, renowned for their cattle-based diet, are shifting to fish due to climate change.
A severe drought in recent years has decimated millions of livestock, forcing many Maasai to reconsider their traditional food sources.
Historically, the Maasai have consumed blood, milk, and meat from cattle, integral to their culture and status.
However, the recent drought left their lands barren and livestock populations devastated.
The Kenya National Drought Management Authority reported that 2.6 million cattle perished, valued at approximately $1.75 billion.
With traditional herding becoming increasingly unfeasible, Maasai elders and pastoralists are exploring alternative food sources.
For instance, Charity Oltinki, a Maasai woman from Kajiado County, has ventured into fish farming.
“The lands were left bare, with nothing for the cows to graze on,” Oltinki explained.
The county government supported her initiative by providing pond liners, fish fingerlings, and feed. After six months, she began selling fish, with prices reaching up to $2.30 each.
The Kajiado government’s fish farming project, initiated in 2014, now aids 600 pastoralists in adapting to climate challenges.
The program aims to diversify incomes and improve food security.
Benson Siangot, the director of fisheries in Kajiado, noted the program’s growing importance in combating food insecurity and malnutrition.
