By Nyoiro Caleb
A walk around the Lake Victoria carries with it an unbearable picture - total neglect on a key economic resource.
Water hyacinth has rendered the lake idle as minimal economic activity can take place. This is quite despicable given the fact that this is the second largest fresh water lake in the world, with the ability to transform the livelihoods of many who depend on it.
The menace has been existent for now close to more than a decade and no solution seems to have been found to curb it. This therefore brings to fore unanswered questions such as, how do those Kenyans who entirely depend on the lake to bring food to their table survive? And what about those who use the lake for transport?
These and other such questions need realistic and immediate concrete answers otherwise the Kenyan Government is doing real injustice to its citizenry from the lake region.
The hyacinth can be used for other purposes which are economically beneficial. Among others, it can be used to make paper and house artworks. If the government can claim to have insufficient capacity to rid off the lake of the hyacinth, the plat could be utilized to set up other industries as aforementioned.
My plea, hence, is to concerned and interested parties - be it the Government or non-governmental organisations, among others - to address this problem with the sincerity and goodwill it needs. "Wanjiku" is bleeding with rage over the water hyacinth menace please!
Nyoiro Caleb is English and literature studentof Maseno University.
