Have
we given up on Lake Victoria?
Chrispory Juma Ombuya
Historians say that
Lake Victoria is 400,000 years old and over this period, it has dried up four
times, the most recent being 17,000 years ago. A visit to the lakeside anytime
now would tempt you to feel that the lake is most likely to dry up again in our
generation when we have the manpower and capital to thwart any attempt that
would endanger the existence of a lake which is not only the pride of Africa
but also a source of livelihoods to millions of people in the East African
Community.
The Lake is has
become grossly infested with Water Hyacinth weeds, which have virtually turned
the fresh water into a green zone. The water has turned green with other weeds
also taking the opportunity to turn the once beautiful lake into a plantation. Lots
of money has been poured in to Hyacinth control with many interventions tried
out. A number of governmental and non-governmental agencies have been created
to deal with this menace. One begs to know if all those have failed now that
the weed is back to choke our lake with wanton abandon.
Is it high time we
went back to the drawing board to find a lasting solution to this menace
because with it, comes pollution, hampered transport system, eyesore scenery,
reduced aquatic population, poor water supply and increased occurrence of
Malaria (respiration). As a resident of Homa Bay town, I will confirm to you
that these effects have become obvious with biting water shortages and
increased mosquito infestation the wordings in everyone’s lips.
Amidst this major
epidemic environmental threat to our lake, there lie concerning attacks on the
lake’s ecosystem that authorities have decided to turn a blind eye on. There is
continued encroachment on the lake by farmers, discharge of sewage into the
lake, silting by incoming river waters and illegal fishing methods. We must
re-energies ourselves and reactivate our systems for the protection of Lake
Victoria or else its drying up overtime will become a reality in our lifetime
again.
The writer is a
Graduate Public Health Intern, Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Homa
Bay District.
