Grabbers endanger Lake Elementaita’s riparian land – Weekly Citizen

The county government of Nakuru has raised conservation concerns over increasing activities by hoteliers around Lake Elementaita.

A fact-finding mission established that developers had encroached on the riparian land, while constructing new hotels and lodges posing a threat to over 400 species of birds, including flamingoes, pelicans and 13 other globally threatened bird species. The birds are sensitive to environmental change.

The county environment chief officer Dr Muriithi said besides the developments, the water body is currently facing immense pressure due to pollution and encroachment.

At a stakeholders’ meeting attended by representatives from county departments of trade and tourism and environment, Kenya Wildlife Service and National Environment Management Authority Dr Kiogora observed that degradation of the lake has adversely affected water quality, productivity and biodiversity. This, he added affected its ability to support life.

Of greater concern to the team is the fact that 75pc of Lake Elementaita ecosystem is privately held as Soysambu Conservancy, a 45,000-acre wildlife and cattle ranch.

The Lake Elementaita boundary survey report drafted in 2016 under a project funded by KWS and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) blamed the confusion on 1950 maps that did not put into consideration riparian land.

The trade and tourism county executive committee member Raymond Komen said increased heavy metal content from solid waste is degrading the lake.

The county trade chief officer, Hussein Mohamed said the devolved unit will work with all stakeholders in coming up with new strategies that will package Lake Elementaita as a tourism destination while ensuring removal of illegal developments and restoring affected areas.

A Nakuru lawyer Richard Andayi suggested that to protect the lake there is need to harmonise the laws that contradict each other on riparian distance, saying almost all the nine laws on riparian areas vary on distance.