Many rivers worldwide, including the Linthipe River in the East African Rift Valley, need well-documented economic values that could persuade riparian countries to step up efforts to manage aquatic resources effectively. This study measured the value people derive from using the aquatic resources from the Linthipe River. Linthipe River as one of the major tributaries of Lake Malawi provides a lot of ecosystem services of high economic value. Data were collected randomly sampled from October 2019 to July 2020 through 391 households (74% male and 26% female). Data was collected using household questionnaires, document reviews, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions, field observations, Willingness to Pay (WTP) method. The study calculated the Gross Financial Value (GFV) from the data to estimate the economic values for direct-use services. At the same time, the Payout Level (PoL) for users’ WTP provided the values for non-use services. The study revealed that the Total Economic Value of the Goods and Services generated from the Linthipe River was US Dollars (US$) 116,312.38 (US$16,172.08 GFV and USD 100,140.30 PoL). The study showed that the Linthipe River has a comparatively high economic value, which depicts the great significance of the river to the surrounding communities. This calls for all stakeholders to manage the Rift Valley rivers holistically.