Nairobi — The Ministry of Water will launch investigations over the pollution of Lake Victoria.

Assistant minister John Munyes said yesterday the ministry was concerned over the dumping of pollutants in the fresh water resource.

"We want to establish the chemical substances which are disposed off by factories into rivers in Western Province which empty into the lake," he said.

Munyes was speaking after attending a regional seminar for East African countries at a Kisumu hotel yesterday.

Pan African Paper Mills and Nzoia and Mumias sugar factories are located along river Nzoia, which flows into Lake Victoria.

Effluent believed to be from these factories has endangered marine life in the lake. Burst sewers belonging to the Kisumu Municipal Council are also discharging the waste into the lake, thus contaminating the waters.