Yala locals turn to swamp as hunger bites


Published on 10/02/2009

By Peter Orengo

Conservationists have raised the alarm over invasion of the Siaya’s Yala swamp by farmers and poachers.

Driven by hunger, residents near the swamp have invaded the complex wetland and are now killing the rare sitatunga antelope and waterbuck species.

At Alego Misori, the western side of the swamp, some farmers were busy cultivating a reclaimed part, while others were clearing papyrus for further tilling.

An open market had been set up for vendors of lush and green vegetables harvested from the drained section of the swamp, as sitatunga meat, hunted from the swamp, was openly sold to buyers.

Mr William Odero, a resident of Busonga, said the drained wetland was a godsend for people, who in the past had to travel several kilometres to buy sukuma wiki.

"We can’t die of hunger when we have a lot of food provided by God in this swamp," Odero said.

Up to four animals are killed daily and sold in the makeshift market.

Most feeder rivers to the swamp are dry due to drought, while water tables of three ox-bow lakes formed by the swamp have greatly reduced.

Yala Swamp Community Conservancy (Yascco), a local organisation that advocates sustainable use of the swamp, is blaming the Government and local commercial firms for the destruction of the wetland.

"We are divided on the course of action to take as hunger pangs are driving residents to clear the swamp for agricultural use.

Poachers have taken advantage and are killing the wild animals for food," said Mr Stephen Okumu, Yascco chairman and an ecologist.

Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo (left) with Dominion Farm Managing Director Steve Cowell during a tour of the Yala Swamp in Siaya District last year. Locals have invaded the swamp and cleared land for cultivation. Photo: Titus Munala/Standard

"We don’t know whether the bird species are intact as people are also burning papyrus at an alarming rate to create room for farming," Okumu said.

Papyrus is a vital raw material for making mats.

The Yala swamp ecosystem is a wetland region of more than 200km2 in Nyanza Province.

It covers the northeastern part of Lake Victoria shores in Siaya, Bondo and Busia districts.

It also acts as a filter for water that flows into Lake Victoria from rivers Yala and Nzoia.

The swamp harbours endangered fish species such as Oreochromis esculentus, locally referred to as fulu and Oreochromis variabilis (ningu) that have disappeared from Lake Victoria.

Other popular species in the swamp, which can grow to more than 50kg is mudfish, also known as kamongo.

Hands tied

The endangered sitatunga antelope still lives in the swamp’s papyrus.

Birdlife International classifies the Yala Swamp among Kenya’s 60 important bird habitats.

Some of the birds that live there are the blue breasted bee eater, the Papyrus Gonolek, the Swamp Flycatcher, the Papyrus Canary, the White Winged Warbler, the Great Snapper and the Baillor’s Crane.

The Siaya County Council, which with the local community is responsible for the swamp’s well being, says its hands are tied.

"We are against killing of the sitatunga and so is KWS, but the residents are desperate and we lack the capacity to monitor the more than 17,000 hectares of the swamp," Mr Aggrey Onyango, the county council chairman said.

Kenya Wildlife Service is equally unaware of the poaching at the swamp.

KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto, when reached by phone, said he would instruct KWS officers in Siaya to investigate the poaching.

Yala Swamp first attracted the attention of the colonial government in 1954. Even then, the colonialists envisioned the swamp as a potential multi-million asset.

Sir Alexander Gibb and partners, early investors from Britain, made their first proposal in their study, Kenya Nile Basin Water Resources, in 1954-6.

They reclaimed more than 2,300hectares in three phases that took more than 24 years.

The work was, however, stopped in 1970 due to lack of funds.

 

 

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