Senior Research Scientist Turkana Station Coordinator Fisheries & Post-Harvest Technology Fish Quality • Water Quality • Value Addition Location Turkana Station Years of Experience 1989-present (37 years at KMFRI) Research Interests Fisheries; Fish post-harvest technology; Water quality and pollution; Fish value addition | Research Focus: Ensuring availability of credible and innovative information that contributes towards the transformation of the fisheries sector into a sustainable and economic venture for job creation and poverty reduction. Maurice Obiero is a Senior Research Scientist with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. He has been with KMFRI since 1989 working under different departments, mainly Laboratory and research departments. His experience dating from 1989 includes scientific data collection, laboratory analysis, data processing, writing technical reports, scientific reporting, dissemination and publications, in addition to various administrative duties. He is currently based in KMFRI Turkana station where he heads the station as the station coordinator. He is an MSc holder in Fisheries and BSc in Fisheries and Aquatic Science. He also holds a Diploma in Laboratory science technology and a Higher Diploma in analytical chemistry respectively. Other short courses done to improve his skills include Fish Quality, Processing and Marketing at the University of Philippines Visayas, Training of Trainers Certificate on Fish Quality, Processing and Marketing for artisanal fisheries (United Nations University - Fisheries Training Programme (UNU-FTP) among others. He has also undertaken supervisory skills and project planning courses. The focus area of interest is on Fisheries, fish post-harvest technology as well as environmental disciplines (Water quality and pollution). He has published about 20 peer review papers as first and co-author respectively. He has written several technical reports as well as reviewing a number of manuscripts for various journals. He is a member of scientific bodies mainly WIOMSA and ACARE (Lake Turkana Advisory Group where he serves as a scientific committee member). He has engaged in activities funded by donors and collaborators such as the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands (EKN), UNESCO, World Food Program (WFP), IPAF, Stoney Brook University, ACARE, Anglican Development Sector (ADS), WIOMSA, World Bank, GoK projects and several NGOs. His passion is to ensure availability of credible and innovative information that contributes towards the transformation of the fisheries sector into a sustainable and economic venture for job creation and poverty reduction. Research & Administrative Responsibility
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Selected Publications MO Obiero, R Kigathi, N Odongo (2020). Effect of initial handling by artisanal fishermen on the quality of penaeid shrimps in Kurawa on the north coast of Kenya. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science. DOI: 10.4314/wiojms. v19i1.5 Maurice O. Obiero, Cyprian O. Odoli, Peter O. Odote, Raymond K. Ruwa, Maurice O. Omega (2019). Shelf-life assessment of hot smoked African catfish stored under different storage conditions from Lake Kenyatta, North Coast, Kenya. WIOMSA Journal Obiero, M. O., Oduor-Odote, P. M., Ruwa, R., & Omega, M. (2018). Biochemical and Sensory Characteristics of the Smoked African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) under Different Storage Conditions in the Coastal Region of Kenya. Kenya Aquatica Journal, Vol 4, Issue 01 Maurice Obiero, John Malala, Casianes Olilo, Chadwick Bironga, Jonathan Ekiru, Cyprian Odoli, Christopher Mulanda Aura. Assessment of the plastic pollution levels along Ferguson's Gulf, Lake Turkana. Kenya Aquatica Journal, Vol 10, Issue 01 Cyprian Ogombe Odoli, Horace Owiti, Nyakeya Kobingi, Maurice Obiero, Zachary Ogari, James Mugo, Chrisphine Nyamweya, Christopher Mulanda Aura (2019). Post-harvest interventions in small-scale fisheries: A Boon or Bane to Food and Nutritional Security in Kenya? Springer Journal, FOSE-D-18-00460R2 Paul van Zwieten (WUR), Jeppe Kolding (UiB), Kevin Obiero (KMFRI), Maurice Obiero (KMFRI), John Malala (KMFRI) (2025). Baseline Study Lake Turkana Final Report on Experimental fishery of Lake Turkana. UNESCO https://www.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2025 Olilo, C. O., Odoli, C. O., Obiero, M. O., Malala, J. O., & Bironga, C. H. (2023). Microbial ecology of desert lakes Baringo and Turkana, Kenya, east Africa. In Lakes of Africa (pp. 247-268). Elsevier. Oduor-Odote, P. M., Shitanda, D., Kituu, G., Obiero, M., & Ruwa, R. K. (2021). Comparison between drying characteristics of siganids in a sand-base solar tunnel dryer and a traditional rack dryer. Oduor-Odote P.M., Shitanda D., Obiero M. and Kituu M.G.M (2010). Drying Characteristics and some quality attributes of Rastrineobola argentea (Omena) and Stolephorus delicatulus (Kimarawali). African Journal of Food Agriculture and Nutrition Development, Vol. 10 No. 8. Kitheka, J. U., Obiero, M., Nthenge, P. (2005). River discharge, sediment transport and exchange in the Tana estuary, Kenya. Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science, 63: 455-468 Links |
