Lake Victoria: Water weeds my best friends. Humans my worst enemy.

On a recent vacation trip to my rural home in Awasi, I took sometime off and traveled to the lake side city of Kisumu to link up with a long lost friend of mine - Mr. Omiti.

Omiti and I have been great buddies since our days as undergrad students at Maseno University where we both studied Environment Science. Having not set eyes on one another for close to four years since our graduation, this meeting was one of a kind and had to be treated as that.

So we met and I suggested we go have some fish delicacy at Lwang'ni beach, but my friend being a resident of Kisumu hinted to me that Lwang'ni is no longer what it used to be and that if we were still to go that way we'd rather pick on Tilapia beach (a lake shore bar cum restaurant not far away from Lwang'ni).

In no minute we had a deal. And with all the excitement, we jumped into a tuk tuk(Auto Rickshaw) and headed straight to Tilapia beach. Life was beaming at the beach. My friend had brought along two of his girl friends. We had great time. The fish was as delicious as ever.

However, in the midst of all the joy and entertainment, something struck my heart. The sight of a Lake covered under a mat of Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) and hippo grass (Vossia cuspidata). A sight foreigners or first time visitors would not find appalling. But because I did my undergrad around the Lake and we used to come for fish delicacies along Lwang'ni beach, I knew what the Lake shore used to be like. And seeing the same shore, about four years down the line, in the state we found it on this very day was really something perplexing, at least for me.

I found it hard to believe that I went to the Lake but never set my eyes on its water. Not that the Lake is dry, but because the section of the shore where we were was all covered in thick mat of water hyacinth spreading to about 800 meters into the Lake. Of this, about 200 meters from the shore into the Lake was covered by a mixture of hippo grass and Water hyacinth (that seemed to whither).

Water hyacinth floats on water but hippo grass doesn't. Hippo grass grows on soil and depends on its roots to take up nutrients from the soil, usually on the shallow bed of a wetland, for its survival. This in my opinion may explain why the hippo grass flourished only up to about 200 meters into the shore and also why the Water hyacinth seemed to whither as they approached the shore covered in hippo grass.  

About eight years ago, and my friend as well as local residents can confirm this, there were lots of recreational activities around Lwang'ni beach. These included boat rides for kids who usually came with their families to appreciate the beauty and serenity that the Lake environment offered. One can no longer find such services around Lwang'ni beach because it is all hippo grass and Water hyacinth. One would mistake it for a large sugarcane plantation.


As an Environmentalist with knowledge of freshwater ecology, when I saw the acreage of hippo grass and Water hyacinth that had covered the Lake, two things became apparent to me. One was that the Lake has become disturbingly shallow. And two, that the Lake is excessively fertile (read high nitrogen and phosphorus levels).

Lake Victoria is the largest fresh water Lake in Africa and the second largest in the World after Lake Superior in Northern United States of America. It is also the largest tropical Lake in the World.


The Lake is fed by several major rivers across the east African region. Some of which are River Kagera, River Yala, River Nzoia, River Sondu-Miriu and River Nyando.

All these Rivers originate from East Africa's highland regions which are beaming with agricultural activities. The fertilizer used in these agricultural plantations find its way into the streams as leachate and are eventually deposited in the Lake. It is this fertilizer that enriches the Lake and makes it conducive for the survival of the Water hyacinth.


Other sources of Lake fertilization may include faulty sewage treatment plant(s) which empty raw or semi-treated sewage into the Lake, and small time pollution by the restaurants/fish kiosks dotting the Lake's shore among others.

Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP) I, a World Bank funded project aimed at achieving sustainable management of Lake Victoria's ecosystem and implemented by the three East African states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania was initiated in 1992. Tackling the Water hyacinth menace was top on the agenda. Methods employed included both biological and mechanical interventions.


By the time LVEMP I was wrapping up in 2005, the total acreage of Water hyacinth mat covering the Lake had been substantially reduced. Uganda  and Tanzania had achieved the greatest reduction, while Kenya had the least achievement. This may partly explain why Water hyacinth is still a great threat to fishing and transportation in Kenya's Lake Victoria and by extension a threat to the livelihood of the Lake's riparian communities.

In a discussion with my friend, who is at the moment pursuing a Master degree in Environmental Science at our alma mater, he informed me that LVEMP phase II is underway. We all hope there'll be something to show for it once it goes full cycle and that it wont be riddled with embezzlement of funds like its predecessor, at least in the Kenyan case.


Other than LVEMP, several other interventions have been brought forth in an attempt to solve the puzzle that is Water hyacinth. These have ranged from manual removal of the weed from the lake shores by riparian communities to exploitation for other economic purposes like basketry and making of furniture.


Despite all these attempts the water hyacinth menace has remained persistent over the years.


It is my considered opinion that the situation has remained the same all this while because of several reasons but most importantly because of wrong approach taken in tackling the problem. All intervention measures taken so far have tended to tackle the symptoms of the problem while completely giving leap service to the real culprit i.e. the cause(s).


The main reason why the Water hyacinth and hippo grass are flourishing at the levels they are now, is because the Lake water is highly fertile and immensely sedimented.


Therefore, any attempt to address the Water hyacinth/hippo grass menace, if it is to be successful, should aim at first tackling the phenomenon that is Lake fertility and sedimentation. It is only when these two are properly addressed that the menace will be put under full control.


It is worth pointing out that Water hyacinth and hippo grass are not a "curse" to the Lake. As a matter of fact, the two weeds are a blessing in disguise which we need to embrace while tackling the real problems that include deforestation, unsustainable agriculture and pollution.


On that warm Sunday afternoon, when I set my eyes on the Lake choking in large acreage of Water hyacinth mats and hippo grass, for a  moment there my heartbeat rate slowed down. The Lake seemed to converse with me. It seemed to be telling me that "hey there...they (water hyacinth and hippo grass) are not my problem. In fact, they are my best friends as they are removing the toxins that your kind (humans) has forced down my throat. Your kind is my greatest enemy."
  

Dustbins alone are not enough

Last week Kenya's environmental watchdog - National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) - embarked on a campaign aimed at curbing waste menace emanating from the public transport industry known locally as matatu industry.

NEMA's move though noble and coming just at the right time, it is my considered opinion that it will achieve very little if the citizens are not educated on the essence of being eco-conscious.

With or without dustbins our matatus can still be clean only if we the wananchi became aware of the negativities of littering our surrounding. Imagine a situation where every person stopped to think of the would be impact(s) of their every little action before committing such acts.

To bring my point home, I wish to share a brief  personal story about my experience with our public transport industry.

Sometime back I set out to go to Kisumu travelling in one of the main coaches (that I would not mention here) plying the Nairobi-Kisumu route. These specific coaches are considerably environment friendly relative to most of the other players in the industry and "Kenyan standards"; that's why I do prefer them. Among other measures, they have a dustbin strategically placed next to the passengers' entrance/exit door.
In the course of the journey somewhere around Naivasha area, a fellow traveler (a man probably in his late 30s or early 40s) seated close to the window about two seats ahead of me stood up from his seat and was trying to open the window so that...and hear this...he could throw a packet of yoghurt (which I assumed he had just finished drinking) outside.
Before he could do it  I called out for him. I said "Hey! please don't throw it out through the window. There's a dustbin there in front where you need to dump it or better still give it to me I will take it for you."
I expected the guy to be challenged in a positive way, but I was wrong. Instead of taking it to the dustbin or giving it to me like I had suggested, he in protest opened the window and threw the packet out closed the window then sat down.
For a moment I heard the other travelers mumble then into the thin air their mumbles slowly dissipated. I didn't say anything to the guy thereafter. But we engaged in some discussion with my seat mate about what had just happened. He loathed the guy's action just like I did. I believe the guy learnt a lesson but was just to proud to admit it. Probably he had his family in the bus and felt embarrassed and just wanted to show he is still in charge. Who knows? But one thing is certain, next time he will think twice before pulling off such a stunt.

From the foregoing you will realize that lack of dustbin is not really the problem, but the problem is the mindset of the individual citizen(s) who - unfortunately - in most instances fail to contemplate the impact(s) of their actions to the environment.

 Plate 1: Polythene bags and milk packets thrown by the roadside.

Our constitution gives every citizen the right to a clean and healthy environment as well as a collective duty to ensure such a right is respected and upheld at all times. Every Kenyan citizen should be made aware of this as matter of public interest.

Therefore, while I support NEMA's move to have dustbins installed in all matatus I wish to also root for a comprehensive and extensive civic education program aimed at inculcating eco-consciouness among the Kenyan people. This way I believe we will have a more responsible citizenry that is keen on caring about the environment.

Kosgey's gesture a welcome move.

The late legendary American football coach - Paul William "Bear" Bryant - once said, "when you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it and do not repeat it."

Hon. Henry Kosgey's gesture, in my opinion, is a most welcome move.

Public officers should not only learn the art of owning up whenever they have tripped, but they should also get it in their head that corruption, disregard of the law (whether outright or ignorantly), favoratism, cronism and tribalism/nepotism are the greatest enemies of progress and merit in any given society.

How "green" are you? Here are some of the things I do to make myself "green"...

Ensuring that we minimize our negative impact on the environment is a key element in tackling such concerns as pollution, solid waste, deforestation, global warming and climate change among a myriad of other existing and emerging ecological concerns.

A big chunk of the environmental concerns/problems we are experiencing is as a result of anthropogenic activities. Meaning our own actions (either as individuals or groups) have had a chain of reactions with feedbacks exhibited in various forms one of which is degraded environment.

It is worthy of note that, a degraded environment or an unstable ecosystem can barely support life. Therefore, there is a need to always ensure our environment is protected and at the least conserved if we are to have a  guarantee of healthy living. Our lives primarily depend on the natural environment around us and any degradation of it has a direct negative effect on life on Earth.

Each and everyone of us should thus strive to achieve an equilibrium on his/her interaction with the environment. Though our environment does act as a sink for nearly all our waste and those waste of the non-talking partners, we-the intelligent partner- should ensure that we don't serve the sink with more than it can take up at any particular time. In essence, am trying to say that we should minimizing on our waste as much as possible.

In my quest to achieve the highest level of eco-consciousness possible, I have taken to embracing several practices that minimize greatly my ecological footprint. The practices are ordinary and simple yet most of the time   majority of people take them for granted either for simple reason of ignorance or just because of misguided notion that an individual's action can have no substantial effect on a larger scale, say national or global.

The first thing I did was to change my attitude. As a little boy I used to believe that nature provides for us ad libitum and that it was inexhaustible and could take care of itself.  This was not until my dad introduced me to watching Sir David Attenborough's BBC nature documentaries and taking me and my other siblings on a tour of the local museum and agricultural shows, that I began to appreciate the fact that nature is wonderful, exhaustible and deserves to be conserved. I have since evolved in terms of attitude towards the natural environment and now I know better. I know my life is dependent on the quality and sustainability of my environment. I know the environment must be conserved and protected at all cost.

I live in the suburbs of Nairobi City and work within the city. On average, the distance to and from my work station is equivalent to a three hours drive on the minimum, with delays due to traffic jam taken into account. I don't own a personal car so am left with only one option - public transport. A majority use public transport in Nairobi. In fact, it is common place.

However, I have adopted a hybrid option of the public transport (matatus). Ordinarily, I should be boarding two vehicles to work in the morning and the same in the evening. But I do board two vehicles in the morning and only one in the evening. I have supplemented the dropped vehicle with a walk. When I realized the distance between my work station and the city center is a 15 - 20 minutes walk, I   immediately stopped boarding matatus and resorted to walking which not only goes along way in reducing my carbon footprint but also acting as a well deserved daily physical exercise. Am glad to say most of my colleagues at work have taken to walking too.

Still on the same point of public transport, I am always very keen on the kind of matatus I travel in. As a matter of principle, I don't do matatus that play loud music, those with loud exhausts and those that are poorly maintained which I usually judge by the amount of smoke emitted i.e. if a matatu emits huge smoke I don't board it.

Most of the matatus I travel in employ a receipt system. Passengers are issued with a receipt on payment of the bus fare. The receipts are however not reusable a fact that has resulted in an influx of litter(discarded receipts) at bus stops. As part of my going green goal, I have developed a habit of carrying my receipt(s) till the next dust bin where I offload them in there. Overtime I realized most people don't mind throwing litter anyhow and now I have taken to talking people out of the littering habit. I do it in a small scale but overtime am confident the result will be large scale.

In the house, I have taken to wise use (conservation) of everything. In terms of energy use, I am always keen to avoid any wastage. Whenever am leaving the house I do ensure my sockets are switched off. As a matter of principle I use only energy saving bulbs in the house. I strictly do clean energy in my houses, unless otherwise (blackout; when I may resort to candles). Whereas a paraffin stove may be cheap and an electric cooker efficient, I opted for a gas cooker for the simple reason of its eco-friendliness, hygiene and economy.

Taking clothes to the laundry may be stylish in this part of the world, but I have refrained from getting carried away. In fact, I only take my jackets to the laundry because I can't wash them in the house. Generally, I do my laundry in the house using cold water and ordinary washing soaps which have very minimal impacts to the environment as compared to the liquid detergents used at laundry outlets. I do dry my clothes out in the natural heat of the sun which is so abundant here in Nairobi.

Plastic is one commodity I have come to realize that one can't avoid using despite all the information about its negativity. Polythene bag - a member of the plastic family - is a cause of solid waste menace in most of our urban centers today. In fact, on average close to 75% of waste in any dumping site in Kenya is polythene. They're cheap, versatile and very readily available that it is almost impossible to avoid them. In my quest to be green, I have resorted not to demonise plastic/polythene but to use them wisely by embracing their versatility. I have taken to reuse of polythene bags as much as possible. Sometime if the number of polythene bags in my possession increase for one reason or another, I usually resort to using them as dustbins. Once a bag has had enough trash, usually on a weekly basis, I dispose it and all its content in the collection bin outside the house.

I live by two simple principles. One, "trash is not trash till it is trash." Simply put, my trash may be another persons raw material.  Two, "dustbins are only as useful as you want them to be" Don't litter your path with receipts and sweet wraps when you got dustbins all over. Also make sure you dump your trash right into the dustbin. Dropping the trash next to the dustbin helps with nothing but only causes more pollution.

I believe you too are doing something to reduce your ecological footprint. But if you have not started doing something then this is the time to start.

Now is the time for eco-consciousness. Let us mind the impacts of our actions to the environment. Let us all do something for nature. You can plant, switch off that unneeded light bulb, drop those receipts in the dustbin or better still initiate a going green campaign with your friends to create public awareness.

Mine is a call to action by each and everyone of us. Did you know that every trillion starts at one? The cumulative effect of all our little actions is great.

Human life; Is the preciousness and high value accorded to it slowly "unhemming" from our social fabric?

A story is carried in the media of a man who has killed his wife and children somewhere in a shanty dwelling in one of the country's major cities.

A few days pass and another bizarre story is carried in the major dailies. This time a man has hacked his wife to death.

Separately, a man and his fiancée are reported to have been accosted by unknown people on the eve of their wedding day and shot; the man fatally while the lady (who is pregnant) escapes with serious injuries and is rushed to hospital for treatment.

Almost during the same period it is reported that two brothers have been gruesomely hacked to death by unknown people in their rural home under what local residents term "very unclear circumstances."

In another part of the country, floods raise havoc destroying properties, displacing and killing people. But despite the affected people seeking assistance from the government and aid agencies operating in the region, none cares to offer the much needed assistance leaving the community with no option but to contend with their own already highly compromised capacity to cope.

These are just but a few instances where human life and dignity have been accorded, what I consider, the highest level of disregard possible by fellow human beings in our country.

Human life has for the longest time and through out ages been accorded utmost respect and dignity.

In fact, in most societies a person is respected irrespective of his/her social status both in life and death sometimes even more in death. For instance, in my community elaborate burial ceremonies are usually held for departed ones. The sole aim of such a ceremony is to accord the dead person a decent send off. The essence of the decent send off being basically to underscore the fact that every person has dignity and deserves respect.

But the unfolding trend in the contemporary society is a big cause of worry to any human being who believes in the dignity of a person.

Just yesterday there were media reports to the effect that two people, one supposedly an attendant at a leading morgue in Nairobi and the other a hearse driver, had been caught by police in possession of a male private part believed to have been chopped off from one of the dead bodies lying at the morgue. Quite disturbing!

One may wonder what makes a person lose his/her head to the extent of imagining that human body part(s) hold solution(s) to life's problems.

I think something is really wrong somewhere with our perception of life and how we interact and relate, not only amongst ourselves, but also with the other non-talking partners with whom we share this planet.

I believe it is time we looked deep into our relationship(s) and interaction(s) with each other and nature. And reaffirmed our commitment to the spirit of brotherhood and good stewardship with regards to our non-talking partners.

We are losing it. And losing it at a very fast pace.

But all is not lost. We still have a chance of redeeming our kind. I believe one way through which we can achieve this is by changing our mindset and adopting a positive approach to life while discarding the overly superstitious and self centered approach to life that a majority of folks ascribe to today. We also need to be very vigilant in ensuring that the dignity of every person is upheld at all times.

Any attempts to demean human dignity should be repulsed and condemned with the contempt it deserves at all times.

Police may be there to protect us but so long as the rot is deeply rooted in us all their attempts at bringing sanity will be in vain.

It is all up to us. We either change our perception and attitude towards each other and live purposeful lives; or we sit there, watch and do absolutely nothing and get consumed by the ills of a rotten society which we have propagated ourselves.

Let us not be blinded by the allure of Gold

"Kenya strikes gold" reads the title of a story in one of the major dailies in Kenya.

Gold without a doubt is one of the world's most precious and sought after metals trading at about $1246 an ounce. Lucrative, isn't it?

In actual sense, in almost all societies, Gold has been since time immemorial synonymous with wealth and class.

The royal families of the great kingdom of the Asante people in west Africa and the pharaoh dynasty of northern Africa are just but a few examples of ancient societies that used Gold to signify wealth and societal stature.

In the contemporary world, the perception accorded to this metal is not any different. Gold is a preserve of the "who is who" in society. The high and mighty. The rich and wealthy.

Gold is associated with success or great achievements in life. In sports, for instance, the best sports wo/men in any sporting field are usually awarded the gold medal - highest achievement possible.

Back to the newspaper story. What the headline of the story in that daily is trying to pass across is that Kenya has gotten wealth or richness if you may like. As Chinua Achebe would put "Kenya has met Eru the magnificent." That, without a doubt, is a plus for her economy, but it comes at a cost. An environmental cost for that matter and which is the main reason why I have written this article.

Reading the "Kenya strikes gold" story, I am disappointed by the obsession of both the authors with the allure of gold and their total disregard of the environmental and health effects associated with gold mining.

Whereas I am in agreement that gold is good for our economy and once we find substantial deposits of the same we should go ahead and mine it, I disagree with an approach that puts a blind eye to the potential effects of such a venture to our environment.

According to the US based Environmental Literacy Council (ELC), the greatest environmental concern associated with gold mining is the disposal of the overburden that is removed from the mines.

Considering the deposits found in Kenya so far lie deep below the ground, there's no doubt open-cast method will be employed to mine out the ore.

This has a two fold effect to the natural environment. One being the disposal of the overburden and the other being the creation of deep open pits (quarry) that may be very difficult to restore once the ore is exhausted and mining stopped.

The use and disposal of Cyanide solutions to dissolve and extract gold is another environmental concern. Cyanide is a well known poison.

In fact Hydrogen cyanide is acutely toxic to humans and in its gaseous state can be fatal at exposure levels of between 100-300 parts per million. It is also harmful to wildlife such as mammals, birds and fish which have acute toxicity reactions to even low cyanide exposure according to the ELC.

The most significant risk of cyanide use in gold mining is leaching into soil and underground water. As a matter of fact in every gold mine, there exists the grave risk of cyanide spill that could destabilize an ecosystem with exposure to toxic levels of cyanide.

With the foregoing, it is apparent that we as a nation can't just celebrate a gold find without looking seriously into the ramifications of gold mining both to our health and the environment.

It is worth noting that the newspaper story mentions briefly a mining bill and policy that are in the pipeline. These should be fast tracked to bring sanity to the mining industry which has been going on haphazardly, albeit in small scale, for ages.

However, there are existing environmental legislations which MUST be adhered to before ventures such as gold mining can be given a green light.

Article 42 of our newly promulgated constitution accords every citizen the right to a clean and healthy environment which includes the right to have the environment protected for the benefit of the current and future generations.

According to the Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) regulations of 2002 which is a subsidiary legislation to the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999, proposed projects - mining projects included - should be subjected to an objective Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to ascertain and/or identify their potential environmental and socio-economic impacts and suggest mitigation measures for the same by developing an Environmental Management Plan.

The law further provides for annual Environmental Audit which is aimed at ensuring compliance with the Environmental Management Plan developed during the EIA process.

In this way, proposed projects get implemented with environmental concerns taken into consideration thereby substantially minimizing adverse impacts to the environment.

Environmental quality and sustainability is key to sustainable economic prosperity of any nation. As a matter of fact, the United Nation member states did recognize when it outlined the infamous Millennium Development Goals; the seventh of which touches on environmental quality and sustainability.

Therefore, though we have every reason as country to celebrate the striking of substantial gold deposits within our territory, we also have every reason to worry about the impacts of gold mining to the quality and sustainability of ecosystems in our environment.

Let us not be blinded by the allure of gold, but we should be vigilant to ensure we reap the benefits of the find at the lowest environmental and health cost possible.

President Kibaki's statement on the new Constitution

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 5 - SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING, ON SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE REFERENDUM 5TH AUGUST, 2010

Fellow Kenyans,

We are happy to welcome the provisional results of the referendum. The historic journey that we began over 20 years ago is now coming to a happy end.

I assure our brothers and sisters who voted against the proposed constitution that their voices have been heard.

Let us all join hands together as we begin the process of national renewal under the new constitution.

The adoption of a new constitution is going to be a victory for Kenya and for the many people who fought long and hard for a new constitutional dispensation that reflects our hopes, our aspirations.

The successful and peaceful conclusion of this referendum shows that our democratic institutions have come of age. I am particularly pleased at the transparent and efficient manner that the Interim Independent electoral Commission conducted the referendum.

I also wish to thank the Right Honourable Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Honourable Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other national and local leaders for their frontline role and support for the new constitution. The Grand Coalition Government has been able to unite the Kenyan people to reach where we are today. I thank all the institutions established by the Grand Coalition Government under the reform agenda, for their valuable contribution.


Fellow Kenyans,

Let us all re-dedicate ourselves to fulfilling the dream of our founding fathers. Indeed may the new Constitutional dispensation be our shield and defender as we strive to conquer poverty, disease and ignorance.

The journey ahead of national renewal will not be easy. There will be challenges along the way. But it is important that we look forward with renewed optimism to better days ahead.

In you Kenyans, I see a great people ready to build a prosperous nation. I see in you hardworking farmers, dedicated public servants, professionals, industrialists, businessmen and women and leaders.

In our Youth, I see the next generation of leaders and drivers of our economy. It is to the youth, in particular, that we shall be looking up to in this great journey of national renewal.

In this regard I call for unity of purpose in all arms of government - the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary, as well as political parties, civil society and the media to ensure successful implementation of the new constitution.

Fellow Kenyans,

I call upon all of us to channel our energies to transforming our economy and social well being to higher heights in accordance with vision Twenty Thirty.

We shall continue with dialogue as we implement the new constitution.

Those who have expressed different views about some of the issues in the new constitution will continue to be listened to within the vibrant democratic institutions established under the new constitution.

After all, democracy is about accepting the verdict of the majority while at the same time giving room for accommodation of the minority.

I would like to thank the Almighty God for blessing this country and its people.

May I also thank all our well wishers from many countries who are friends of Kenya. We value the encouragement they have rendered us in this long journey.

Finally let us all prepare to play our part in the New Kenyan Nation that will be ushered in through a new constitution once it is proclaimed.

Meanwhile, we shall soon announce the date of promulgation of the new constitution.

ASANTENI NA MUNGU AWABARIKI