Volunteers are transforming Dunga Beach from a hazardous waste dump into a pristine lakefront, demonstrating how international protocols can empower grassroots environmental action.
Just days after New Year revellers left batteries, old radios, and banned plastic bags littering the Lake Victoria shoreline, volunteers mobilised to segregate toxic waste and restore the vital tourism site.
The clean-up effort reflects Kenya's commitment to the Bamako Convention, which equips authorities with tools to combat illegal waste imports, promote public awareness, and establish tailored waste management practices across Africa.
Leading the charge is Benson Abila, whose M-Taka digital app initiative targets hazardous waste in Kisumu's informal settlements and lakefront areas.
"We have come up with a policy dubbed my waste, my responsibility which has had tremendous success in changing the perception of people on waste management," Abila said.
The tech-integrated platform connects waste pickers with recyclers through real-time market pricing, enabling residents to exchange waste for cash or points. Since inception, M-Taka has recovered over 1.2 million kg of recyclable waste and trained 300 agents, predominantly women.
"Awareness is the most important thing and it is what we are relying on to educate residents on how they can segregate their wastes and take them to waste collection centres," Abila said, warning that hazardous waste threatens the lake's aquatic life.
Kisumu produces between 300 and 500 tonnes of solid waste daily, with plastics comprising 19 per cent of the total, according to county environment statistics.
Waste collector Joseph Ouma said his team dedicated time after New Year to traverse the beach and Hippo Point. "It is common to see groups of people parading along the beach with music systems. Some of them have been dumping plastics and used batteries in the lake," he said.
The November 2024 Lake Victoria State of the Basin Report, presented at the UN Conference of Parties in Belém, Brazil, highlighted how industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and untreated sewage continue contaminating the lake, which supports over 45 million people across five East African Community states.
Fish monger Christine Akello linked hazardous waste dumping to recent fish deaths in the region, though she criticised the government for failing to implement existing environmental policies.
The Bamako Convention's framework for managing hazardous waste has proven crucial in enabling volunteers and organisations to tackle pollution systematically, offering hope that community-led initiatives can safeguard Lake Victoria's fragile ecosystem.