Kitui County is one of the areas in Kenya that has been affected by persistent drought, with farmers in the region seeking other alternatives to eke an income as crop farming has proved undoable.
While a big chunk of farmers in the region rely on livestock farming as their economic mainstay, others have gone beyond what no one else is doing in the whole of Kitui County.
Peter Maundu, a farmer in Voo, Kitui East, has forged a successful in tortoise farming, selling his products to reptile-eating countries like Germany and China.
The retired administrator and veterinary officer ventured into tortoise rearing in 2005 after several failed attempts to cultivate crops.
“When I realized crop farming is not promising nowadays, I chose to engage my land into a different type of farming, and I do not regret,” says the farmer.
Alex Gathii: How to feed dairy cows for more milk
Maundu revealed he started with 25 tortoises which have since multiplied to over 2,000. He keeps three species of tortoises, namely the hinge-back, pancake, and the leopard.
The leopard is large and round like a football and attractively marked with leopard-like spots on its shell, while the Pancake is thin and flat with a flexible shell. Its shell also bears many openings that increase its agility, making it lighter to fit in its hilly and rocky habitats.
“I was buying a mature tortoise for Sh500, and the little ones went for Sh200 to motivate the people to bring me more if they found any,” said Maundu.
Among the challenges he encountered in his venture include difficulties in getting a license from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“It was not easy to acquire the Paper. I had to travel to and fro Nairobi on many occasions. I spent much of my money and time before KWS finally gave in and gave me the license three years after application,” said the farmer.
Maundu exports the tortoises to reptile-eating countries such as the United States, China, and Germany, with one Leopard tortoise fetching at least Sh2,000 in the international market.
