Kivu Choice has announced that construction of a Frw 20 billion fish hatchery is progressing steadily. Once completed, the facility will produce more than 12 million fish fingerlings every month.
Kivu Choice operates on Lake Kivu in Kagano Sector, Nyamasheke District, where it farms tilapia.
Kivu Choice Targets Higher Fish Production
The company aims to expand its operations so that by 2029 it will harvest 30,000 tonnes of fish annually, accounting for nearly 50% of Rwanda’s total fish production.
This aligns with Rwanda’s national target of increasing annual fish production to 77,700 tonnes by 2029, up from 48,133 tonnes harvested in 2024.
The government is pursuing this goal in partnership with private investors, including major companies investing in fish farming across Rwanda’s lakes.
Frw 20 Billion Investment in Nyamasheke
Speaking to IGIHE, Kivu Choice’s Director of Partnerships and Development, Lambert Kabayiza, said one of the key projects supporting the company’s expansion from 9,600 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes of fish annually is the construction of the hatchery at Mwaga in Bushekeri Sector, Nyamasheke District.
“Construction of the fish hatchery in Nyamasheke District has been underway for eight months. It will be a large facility capable of producing more than 12 million fish fingerlings every month, with the total investment exceeding Frw 20 billion,” he said.
Currently, Kivu Choice produces its fish fingerlings in Kigembe Sector, Gisagara District, using ponds operated in partnership with the Government of Rwanda.
As a result, trucks transport fish fingerlings daily from Gisagara District to Kagano Sector in Nyamasheke District, where they are raised.
Jobs and Increased Fish Production
Over the past four years, Kivu Choice has invested Frw 20 billion in Nyamasheke District. The company has created more than 800 jobs and plans to increase its workforce to 1,200 employees as its operations continue to expand.
The company currently harvests 30 tonnes of fish per day, up from 15 tonnes per day at the beginning of 2022. Its goal is to increase production to 80 tonnes per day, contributing 30,000 tonnes toward Rwanda’s national target of 77,700 tonnes of fish annually by 2029.
Supporting Nutrition and Local Development
Nyamasheke District Mayor Mupenzi Narcisse said the company has made a significant contribution not only to the district’s development and residents’ livelihoods but also to the country as a whole by increasing the availability of fish and helping reduce Rwanda’s dependence on imported fish.
Kivu Choice has also begun supplying free fish to five daycare centres and four nursery schools in Nyamasheke District as part of efforts to combat child stunting.
Among the company’s future projects is the production of fish powder, which will be used to improve nutrition and promote balanced diets.
