Kirera Mwiti and Philip Yegon @PeopleDailyKe
Nakuru County government has now partnered with a Japanese company to turn the stubborn water hyacinth weed in Lake Naivasha into fertiliser. County chief environment officer Dr Nelson Maara said the investors had visited the lake and expressed interest in the project.
He said the uncontrolled spread of the weed was worrying, adding that it can only be tamed through mechanical harvesting. “The team from Japan is keen with this hyacinth project which will see the weed turned into fertiliser and sold to farmers at a cheaper price,” he said.
Speaking in Naivasha, Maara was, however, quick to note that the multi-million-shilling project faced challenges mainly in adoption rate. Lakeview MCA Simon Wanyoike who had accompanied him noted with concern the high-levels of pollution in Lake Naivasha mainly from the nearby county dump site.
He welcomed the move to mechanically remove the water hyacinth weed saying it had adversely affected fishing and tourism activities. Elsewhere, four groups from Kericho county involved in the Lake Victoria Basin conservation got a Sh12.5 million boost of from the National government.
Working under Lake Victoria Enviroment Management Project Phase II, the groups are set to use the money in tree planting, conservation efforts on the catchment areas, enhancing and transforming the lives of the people in the catchment areas, reduction in lake pollution, issues of solid waste management among others. in towns and desilting of water pans among others.
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