Kuza Freezers launches solar-powered cold storage for fish in Mombasa, Kenya

KENYA – Kuza Freezers, a social enterprise operating in the fisheries sector, has launched its first solar-powered cold storage and fish marketplace hub in Mombasa.

The facility is designed to serve both small-scale fisherfolk and fish vendors by improving preservation and expanding market access.

By using solar-powered refrigeration, the hub aims to reduce post-harvest losses, a problem that similarly affects fish traders in coastal and lake regions.

The enterprise aggregates fish from local communities and preserves the quality using cold storage units before linking the supply to buyers in premium urban markets, including restaurants, hotels, and wholesalers.

Kuza Freezers plans to expand this model nationwide in an effort to build a climate-smart and inclusive fish supply chain.

The initiative is also creating job opportunities for women and youth while addressing the recurring problem of spoilage and income loss for small-scale producers.

The company positions itself as a value chain integrator by offering storage, logistics, and market access under one system.

According to the company, this model ensures both consistency in supply and better earnings for producers who have long faced barriers due to poor infrastructure.

The launch comes at a time when both the meat and fish sectors are seeking long-term solutions to reduce losses and maintain quality in a warming climate.

Retail meat businesses in Kenya are facing rising losses due to spoilage, with new data revealing average losses of US$5 per retailer every week.

A study by the University of Nairobi’s Digital Repository attributes these losses primarily to poor storage and handling practices that lead to moisture loss and microbial spoilage.

The report estimates that a single retailer loses about 2.3 kilograms of meat weekly as a result of these conditions.

It further breaks down the causes, stating that moisture loss accounts for 49% of the spoilage, while 22% is linked to microbial contamination.

Over the course of a year, this translates to financial losses ranging from US$260 to US$780 for each meat vendor.

The findings point to the urgent need for better preservation technologies and infrastructure in Kenya’s meat and perishable goods sector.

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