14 August 2007
editorial
Nairobi — The ordeal suffered by seven people on Lake Victoria when water hyacinth formed a ring around their boat and marooned them for four days ought to be a wake-up call to the authorities, that the danger posed by that weed is not merely economic - it can be deadly as well.
Although the entire incident underscores how helpless people trapped by the "malicious" weed can be, it does not mean we are all helpless to get rid of it.
It is true Kenyans might not have introduced the hyacinth into the country. But knowing where it came from might no longer be important. What is important is the role we have all played to encourage its proliferation on Lake Victoria and other water bodies.
Research findings show that the continued growth of the hyacinth has been helped by the introduction of "nutrients" into the lake, a direct result of the destruction of forests and other natural vegetation which has enabled rains to wash away much of the top soil.
It is also evident that municipal waste from Kisumu, Homa Bay and other towns has consistently found its way into the lake. Consequently, there now exists an expansive "nutrient plume" that extends more than 45 kilometres inside the lake.
Knowing the source of the hyacinth problem ought to form the basis for concerted action. As the ordeal indicates, the weed seems to be vengefully targeting fisher-folk and everyone who relies on the lake for food, income and transportation.
We urge the Government to lead the campaign, not only to uproot, once and for all, the entire hyacinth cover, but also to tackle the problem at source, even if it means replanting all the denuded forest and vegetation cover.
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