Corridors around L. Naivasha to be opened up

Lake Naivasha boat owners association Chairman David Kilo (R) argues with anti-riot police officers when he led members of the public in reopening a grabbed public corridor leading to Lake Naivasha. [Antony Gitonga/Standard]

Members of the county assembly have passed a motion seeking to open up all the blocked corridors around Lake Naivasha.

A day after the motion was passed, engineers from the county moved to Kihoto estate in Naivasha and opened up one of the corridors.

The assembly's trade and tourism committee tabled a motion seeking to compel investors around the lake to open up the corridors they had blocked.

The motion tabled by Naivasha's Lakeview MCA Karanja Mburu was passed on Friday.

Mr Mburu said it was wrong for unemployed youths loiter in Naivasha yet the lake could provide an opportunity for them to earn a living through fishing or tourism activities.

While praising the assembly for a job well done, Mburu said the onus was now on government agencies to investigate and bring to book all those who had blocked the corridors.

"Now they have the opportunity to voluntarily open up the roads since they know failing to do so would see the law we passed take its course," he said.

The first-time MCA said the leaders would seek to open up all access routes.

"These are corridors blocked by hoteliers, flower growers and real estate developers and it will no longer be business as usual because we cannot let our people walk 30km to get access to the lake, yet the corridors are just a kilometre away from estates," he said.

According to Friends of Lake Naivasha lobby group chairman Fredrick Muthui, the opening up of the corridors would herald a new beginning for the lake that has been faced by a myriad of challenges.

Mr Muthui said the lake had 19 corridors, yet only one was open to the public.

He said prominent business people had grabbed the corridors and were working in cahoots with some government officials to hold on to them.