Sorghum is the fifth most produced grain globally.
This two-meter tall plant from the grass family is often grown in regions that have high temperatures and lower rainfall. In wetter regions, its production is lower than that of more lucrative crops such as rice and maize.
Sorghum is a particularly essential crop in Africa, second to maize, as the staple grain for millions of people.
Although it is mainly consumed as a grain, sorghum is also prepared into a wide variety of other food products such as porridge, bread, lactic and alcoholic beverages, and weaning meals.
Africa’s third top producer of sorghum
Sorghum is the main cereal crop grown in Burkina Faso, with more than 1.5 million hectares. Along with pearl millet, it is the staple diet of rural populations in the Sub-Sahelian regions.
Burkina Faso is the continent’s third top producer of sorghum (after Nigeria and Sudan)
In spite of various interventions, its productivity remains low, with an average yield of approximately one tonne per hectare. Many factors have contributed to the decreased productivity, including demographic pressure, ecological degradation, loss of soil fertility, and water erosion.
Other factors include negative effect of dry spells on crop growth and yield, negative effect of end of season drought, scarcity of organic amendment, improved seed and other farm inputs and output.
The Sahel as a bread basket
To address these constraints, and with a view to transforming the Sahel into a bread basket, the African Development Bank (AfDB), in 2018, launched the Sorghum and Millet Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT).
The compact, according to the bank, spearheads the bold plan to transform Sorghum and Millet in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The programme increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include sorghum and millet.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
With sustainable intensification, improved profitability of sorghum and millet; and the scaling up of proven technologies as areas of focal emphasis, the TAAT sorghum and millet compact set out to work on contributing to food and nutrition security in a region where low agricultural productivity and lack of value added are among the main causes of malnutrition, unemployment and poverty on the continent.
Led by the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with National Research and Extension Systems, the sorghum and millet compact targets about 40 to 50% of African farmers with technologies relevant to boosting agricultural productivity and self-sufficiency by 2025.
During the 2019 rainy season, the compact, in collaboration with the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) selected Burkina Faso and Mali to host the demonstration of climate smart technologies.
The TAAT-WEC is led by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
Zai, Half-moon and CLT Technologies
The technologies identified for the demonstration are Zai, Half-moons and Contour Lines Technique. These are mainly soil and water conservation technologies.
Zai refers to planting pit dug in degraded land, amended with organic manure which is meant to collect run-off water and restore the productivity of the soil.
Sorghum or millet seeds are planted in the pits.
Half-moons on the other hand, form structure made in degraded land and amended with organic manure which collects run-off water and is planted with sorghum or millet.
Zai pits and half-moon ditches can increase yields even in the first year. The farmer does not need to wait for the land to fully regenerate before sowing.
The soil remains bare between Zai pits, but inside the hole the earth is damp and fertile. The pit collects and retains moisture and prevents the rich soil and seeds from being washed away by the rain.
These technologies were displayed in Burkina Faso using the famer field school approach, while the contour lines technique (CLT) was presented to farmers in Mali using the demonstration plot approach.
Contour lines technique refers to lines of stones installed on degraded land following the contour lines. They are meant to reduce run-off and spread run-off water in the field.
In both countries, abandoned bare lands, which traditional famers believe are not suitable for cultivation, were used with the compact selecting the sites and the relevant crop varieties in both cases.
According to Dr Dougbeji Fatondji, TAAT Sorghum and Millet Compact Leader, “the objective of this activity is to demonstrate to the farmers, technologies that can help them produce and increase crop productivity under the current weather variability and climate change conditions.
Farmer field school approach in Burkina Faso
Kapelga, a sorghum variety (white grain and early maturing) was used in the district of Toma. It is a variety that is under promotion in the province and beyond by Federation des Professionnels Agricole du Burkina (FEPAB).
In the district of Boussoma, ICSV1049 a variety promoted in the Sanmentenga province was used.
Both varieties were grown in half-hectare of half-moon and half-hectare of Zai. The half hectare planted with the same varieties was used as control using the farmer’s practice.
The two sorghum varieties were selected based on the agro-ecological characteristics. Planting was done on the same day at each site.
In Toma, the field was managed by FEPAB (25 farmers with 9 of them being females) and in Boussouma it was managed by 30 farmers – 13 females and 17 males.
Two field days were organized in each site, during heading and during maturity stages.
The second day of the farmer field school presented an opportunity to harvest and estimate with farmers, the yield of the different technologies.
Demonstration plot approach in Mali
In Sorofing, one of the selected villages, the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) trained farmers on how to design the contour lines by automatic reading method.
Mr Dramane Male, a farmer applied the CLT on 2.0 hectare of Fadda. Despite the end of season’s drought, the plants remained green with good soil moisture.
Dramane said that the CLT stopped the runoffs.
“If this were to be the traditional method in a similar rainy season, I would have lost all my crops because of drought,” he added. He promised to apply the CLT in all the areas of his fields with pronounced slopes.
On the 0.5-hectare, Yaya Male, another farmer, applied the CLT, the plants are well developed with big stems and green leaves.
A field day was organized at Foh to showcase the performance of the demonstrated technology to farmers.
About 10 research and development institutions including a private seed company and many farmers were represented at the event which was covered by Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Mali (ORTM), the country’s national television station.
During the visit to the plot of Pierre Diarra in Kourouma, Dr. Kalifa Traore, from the Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), explained the methodology deployed – from farmers’ sensitization to training and practical exercises on the CLT.
In addition to the proposed variety (Tiandougou Coura), the farmer used his own local variety to see if the crop performance was not linked to the varietal differences.
The results were self-explanatory and amazing. The plot under CLT produced good plants with large panicles compared to the control (low plant stand due to runoffs).
“I usually abandon this particular field because of the runoffs,” Pierre Diarra said.
“With this exposure to the CLT now, I promise to apply the CLT in all problematic soils for all crops,” Pierre aded.
The local authorities led by the Deputy Mayor, Michel Traore, thanked the team for the technology deployed in his community. He equally called for continuous support aimed at taking the technology beyond borders.
On his part, he promised to include the CLT technique in their local Development Plan (PDSEC).
Participants from other communities also requested for similar training on CLT. This elicited a positive response from farmers organizations Platform (AOPP) and the local Chamber of Agriculture (CRA) who pledged to organise more training sessions in collaboration with the TAAT programme.
“These are very interesting and amazing technologies – with these, we will overcome many of the challenges we face now.”
Organized by the Water Enabler Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the field day brought together over 200 stakeholders from across the densely populated state in northern Nigeria.
These include the representative of Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the state’s Deputy Governor who also heads the state ministry of agriculture, the Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim who participated alongside 15 directors and Zonal Managers of his agency.
In attendance also were Directors of Engineering, Agricultural Services, Planning, and Veterinary departments of the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (KMANR), members of the Wheat Farmers Association, women, and youth groups.
Wheat in Nigeria
With a production of 60,000 tons annually, wheat remains the least cereal produced locally in Nigeria, although widely consumed.
In 2013, the country’s wheat consumption was estimated at 4.1 million tons creating a huge market potential for wheat supply gap.
According to a December 2018 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), wheat importation to Nigeria in 2018-19 is estimated to increase by 4%.
This adds to the 5.4 million tonnes imported in 2017 thus indicating an increasing local demand for the cereal.
Wheat requires very well-drained soil, making it difficult to be grown in salty or acidic soil. The region of the country that supports wheat production includes Northern states such as Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Jigawa and Gombe.
However, local wheat production in Nigeria is fraught with challenges.
The variety of wheat cultivated in Nigeria is hard while the most popular types imported can’t grow in Nigeria as a result of the country’s soil and climatic condition.
Salim Mohammed, national president, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, identifies lack of policy framework aimed at ensuring consistent supply of high yielding varieties of modified seeds to farmers and appropriate irrigation technologies as major concerns militating against massive production of wheat across the country.
Technology as a way out
It is against this background that the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018, launched the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The program increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include wheat.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
Smarting from the success stories recorded in Sudan where the TAAT Wheat Compact deployed a number of high yielding heat tolerant wheat varieties at scale (Imam, Goumria, Zakia, Elnielain and Bohaine) with a production potential of 5-8 t / ha and more than 26,000 tons of certified seeds produced and distributed to more than 260,000 wheat farmers, TAAT is already poised to transform Nigeria’s wheat sector.
Dr Solomon Assefa, the TAAT wheat compact leader identifies the lack of improved wheat seed in sufficient quantity and quality at affordable price as a key factor contributing to the poor adoption and weak performance of wheat in Nigeria.
These and many more prompted the scaling up of heat-tolerant wheat technologies to farmers in Nigeria.
“The technologies comprised many new wheat varieties with heat and drought tolerance, and stem rust resistance. These traits allow for expansion of wheat production in Nigeria, Assefa said.
“TAAT is fast-tracking this next generation variety release through national programs, offering expertise in land preparation including raised beds, furrow and deficit irrigation, and sprinkler systems, and promoting low-cost mechanized planting within conservation agriculture,” he added.
The TAAT Wheat Compact is led by International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) while International Water Management Institute (IWMI) leads the TAAT Water Enabler Compact.
The TAAT Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
The water-wheat nexus
Henry Igbadun who coordinates the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) in Nigeria disclosed during the Field Day that the program is currently training 30 farmers and 10 extension workers in Kano State on proven water management technologies.
“Our target here is to scale up proven tools, technological solutions and innovations in irrigation and agricultural water management to increase productivity and production of wheat, rice and Sorghum,” Igbadun said.
“It is also to build the capacity of trainers, including innovation platform facilitators, extension agents, champion farmers and youths in the proper use of irrigation and water management technologies and implementation of good irrigation management practice.”
According to Igbadun, the initiative is also aimed at attracting investment from public and private sources into irrigated agricultural production of wheat, rice and sorghum through the demonstration of viability and profitability of irrigation technologies.
He added that, “traditionally, water is lifted from the tube well using centrifugal pumps and allowed to run by gravity on soil surfaces to the crop field.
“This method, he continued, is not only tedious, but it takes a longer time to irrigate the fields, more hours of running the irrigation pumps, higher water conveyance losses, and of fields.
The PVC conveyance and distribution technology is therefore appropriate to overcome these challenges. It saves time / hours of irrigation, which in turn reduces the cost of production and increases yield, “he said.
Prof Igadun displayed several irrigation facilities at the field day and he mentioned some of them as “Impact Sprinklers, Gun Sprinklers, Weirs, Flumes, Spiles, and Orifices.”
On the Wheat field, the Gun Sprinklers, Impact Sprinklers are used to irrigate the field. These are in addition to the irrigation system known as “Improved surface irrigation using PVC pipes.
Shehu, the Kano Wheat Farmers leader, on his part, pledged to mobilize members of his association to adopt the technologies.
“Some of us have tested these technologies and it yielded good results. We are therefore calling on the government to come to our aid by continuing with the program even after TAAT is gone, ”Shehu added.
Engr. Rabiu Abdulkadir, the Director of Engineering and Service at the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture, in his closing remarks, commended TAAT for bringing such technologies to their doorstep during the Alkamawa field day.
Since these technologies, he continued, “will assist our farmers in curtailing the waste of water, thereby increasing the production of wheat, we are left with no choice as government, than to support this program in order to ensure its sustainability,” Abdulkadir added .
“These are very interesting and amazing technologies – with these, we will overcome many of the challenges we face now.”
Organized by the Water Enabler Compact of Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) in collaboration with the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the field day brought together over 200 stakeholders from across the densely populated state in northern Nigeria.
These include the representative of Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the state’s Deputy Governor who also heads the state ministry of agriculture, the Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) Hon. Suleiman Ibrahim who participated alongside 15 directors and Zonal Managers of his agency.
In attendance also were Directors of Engineering, Agricultural Services, Planning, and Veterinary departments of the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (KMANR), members of the Wheat Farmers Association, women, and youth groups.
Wheat in Nigeria
With a production of 60,000 tons annually, wheat remains the least cereal produced locally in Nigeria, although widely consumed.
In 2013, the country’s wheat consumption was estimated at 4.1 million tons creating a huge market potential for wheat supply gap.
According to a December 2018 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), wheat importation to Nigeria in 2018-19 is estimated to increase by 4%.
This adds to the 5.4 million tonnes imported in 2017 thus indicating an increasing local demand for the cereal.
Wheat requires very well-drained soil, making it difficult to be grown in salty or acidic soil. The region of the country that supports wheat production includes Northern states such as Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Jigawa and Gombe.
However, local wheat production in Nigeria is fraught with challenges.
The variety of wheat cultivated in Nigeria is hard while the most popular types imported can’t grow in Nigeria as a result of the country’s soil and climatic condition.
Salim Mohammed, national president, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, identifies lack of policy framework aimed at ensuring consistent supply of high yielding varieties of modified seeds to farmers and appropriate irrigation technologies as major concerns militating against massive production of wheat across the country.
Technology as a way out
It is against this background that the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018, launched the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative.
TAAT’s main objective is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within eight Priority Intervention Areas (PIA).
The program increases agricultural productivity through the deployment of proven and high-performance agricultural technologies at scale along selected nine commodity compacts which include wheat.
These work with six enabler compacts addressing transversal issues such as soil fertility management, water management, capacity development, policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness and fall armyworm response.
Smarting from the success stories recorded in Sudan where the TAAT Wheat Compact deployed a number of high yielding heat tolerant wheat varieties at scale (Imam, Goumria, Zakia, Elnielain and Bohaine) with a production potential of 5-8 t / ha and more than 26,000 tons of certified seeds produced and distributed to more than 260,000 wheat farmers, TAAT is already poised to transform Nigeria’s wheat sector.
Dr Solomon Assefa, the TAAT wheat compact leader identifies the lack of improved wheat seed in sufficient quantity and quality at affordable price as a key factor contributing to the poor adoption and weak performance of wheat in Nigeria.
These and many more prompted the scaling up of heat-tolerant wheat technologies to farmers in Nigeria.
“The technologies comprised many new wheat varieties with heat and drought tolerance, and stem rust resistance. These traits allow for expansion of wheat production in Nigeria, Assefa said.
“TAAT is fast-tracking this next generation variety release through national programs, offering expertise in land preparation including raised beds, furrow and deficit irrigation, and sprinkler systems, and promoting low-cost mechanized planting within conservation agriculture,” he added.
The TAAT Wheat Compact is led by International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) while International Water Management Institute (IWMI) leads the TAAT Water Enabler Compact.
The TAAT Water Compact promotes low-cost and easy-to-deploy irrigation and water management technologies to small-scale farmers across Africa.
The water-wheat nexus
Teacher. Henry Igbadun who coordinates the TAAT Water Enabler Compact (TAAT-WEC) in Nigeria disclosed during the Field Day that the program is currently training 30 farmers and 10 extension workers in Kano State on proven water management technologies.
“Our target here is to scale up proven tools, technological solutions and innovations in irrigation and agricultural water management to increase productivity and production of wheat, rice and Sorghum,” Igbadun said.
“It is also to build the capacity of trainers, including innovation platform facilitators, extension agents, champion farmers and youths in the proper use of irrigation and water management technologies and implementation of good irrigation management practice.”
According to Igbadun, the initiative is also aimed at attracting investment from public and private sources into irrigated agricultural production of wheat, rice and sorghum through the demonstration of viability and profitability of irrigation technologies.
He added that, “traditionally, water is lifted from the tube well using centrifugal pumps and allowed to run by gravity on soil surfaces to the crop field.
“This method, he continued, is not only tedious, but it takes a longer time to irrigate the fields, more hours of running the irrigation pumps, higher water conveyance losses, and of fields.
The PVC conveyance and distribution technology is therefore appropriate to overcome these challenges. It saves time / hours of irrigation, which in turn reduces the cost of production and increases yield, “he said.
Prof Igadun displayed several irrigation facilities at the field day and he mentioned some of them as “Impact Sprinklers, Gun Sprinklers, Weirs, Flumes, Spiles, and Orifices.”
On the Wheat field, the Gun Sprinklers, Impact Sprinklers are used to irrigate the field. These are in addition to the irrigation system known as “Improved surface irrigation using PVC pipes.
Shehu, the Kano Wheat Farmers leader, on his part, pledged to mobilize members of his association to adopt the technologies.
“Some of us have tested these technologies and it yielded good results. We are therefore calling on the government to come to our aid by continuing with the program even after TAAT is gone, ”Shehu added.
Engr. Rabiu Abdulkadir, the Director of Engineering and Service at the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture, in his closing remarks, commended TAAT for bringing such technologies to their doorstep during the Alkamawa field day.
Since these technologies, he continued, “will assist our farmers in curtailing the waste of water, thereby increasing the production of wheat, we are left with no choice as government, than to support this program in order to ensure its sustainability,” Abdulkadir added .
KISUMU, Kenya (PAMACC News) - Schools in Kenya only opened for the new term two weeks but the 2000 students of Victoria Primary School in Kisumu might soon have no place to learn from.
The school’s land measuring 3.6 hectares, located in the Kenya’s third city’s central business district has been grabbed by powerful individuals, leaving the fate of the pupils unknown.
Edward Omalla, the school’s head teacher says the problem began in 2012 when part of the land was forcibly annexed, subdivided and given to some individuals.
“We are living in fear. The teachers and learners don’t know what to expect. Our school’s land is registered under numbers 644 and 647. But in 2012, some of the school manage committee members colluded with land grabbers and sold 3.6 hectares. To date, this land has not reverted to us. It is a case that has been fought for eight years now,” Omalla said.
He is optimistic that government has now sent its investigators to get to the bottom of the problem and save the school that is a stone’s throw away from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s State House in Kisumu.
The school’s case illustrates the insatiable appetite of land around Lake Victoria. The lake, the largest fresh water in Africa and second largest fresh water lake in the world has lost some of its land, including that located on its shores to businesspeople and politicians.
Now, the once fresh lake has its waters poisoned and the residents can no longer enjoy the fish, either from the proceeds of selling the fish or eating it. Politicians have hived off junks of land around the lake to erect palatial homes or tourist hotels.
Investigations by The Standard revealed that public land valued at Sh1.654 billion is in the hands of private individuals, who illegally acquired it.
Identified as Block 7 within Kisumu municipality and found on the shores of the lake, this land stretches from Kisumu international airport, through Lwangni beach, Kenya Railways, State House, Impala animal sanctuary to the famous Dunga beach, renowned for fish, school visits and boat rides.
Here, there are 16 pieces of land that have been subdivided from the original Block 7. Records show the pieces are worth Sh1.654 billion.
Through the efforts of EACC, some pieces have been returned to the public. They include Block 7/509 that was owned by Dr Oburu Odinga, former Bondo MP and elder brother of Raila. He is a nominated MP of the East African Legislative Assembly.
In its ruling delivered on July 26, last year, High Court Judge, Justice Stephen Kibunja ruled that the lease given to Oburu by then Commissioner of Lands Sammy Mwaita was not protected under Article 40 of the Constitution. The case was filed by EACC.
The court ruled that the piece of land worth Sh35 million is part of the larger land set apart as reserve and vested in the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and was not available for allocation for private purposes. Oburu was accused of colluding with Mwaita, now Baringo Central MP, to defraud Kenya Railways of the half-acre of land.
The judge noted that the properties belongs to KRC and had been alienated, hence not available for allocation.
“No diligent public officer at the Lands registry and Survey Department, would have processed the allocation and subdivision of the suit land, and the registration of the lease thereof without ensuring and satisfying themselves that the relevant approval, consent and documents had been availed before them,” Kibunja ruled, adding the subdivision, issuance and registration of the lease over the land in the name of the accused, was fraudulent, irregular, illegal and unprocedural.
Block 7/548 and Block 7/454 worth Sh140 million were also recovered, same to Block 7/541.
George Mogare Oira, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) regional manager said the commission has also been able to recover a public park within the city centre.
“Taifa Park, registered as Block 7/240 and called Kisumu public park and gardens has been recovered and will soon be used by members of the public. It is worth 370 million and was illegally acquired by Odalo Mak’Ojwando Abuor, Fredrick Otieno, Paula Akoth, United Plaza and Rashid Mwakiwiwi,” Oira said.
He said the land grabbers are so brazen that they don’t even spare protected property. “This was the case when Charles Oyoo Kanyangi and five others illegally acquired Block 8/22 that belongs to the judiciary and is situated very close to Kisumu Law Courts. It is valued at Sh830 million. We have also recovered it,” Oira said.
He said the commission has finalized investigating the matter and will soon present to court suspects for fraudulently acquiring the land valued at Sh22.5 million.
“We will next month present 14 cases in court. Eleven of these are related to land. We are also investigating another 70, which are also mainly dealing with irregular and illegal land acquisition,” Oira said.
The land grabbing mania in Kisumu attracted Uhuru, who, five months ago, ordered government agencies to secure land that original belonged to Kenya Railways.
As a result, many buildings were brought down to pave way for the construction of Kisumu port, a project the President hopes will improve transport and business within the East African Community (EAC) members, made up of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. One of the establishments demolished belonged to former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo.
The illegal acquisition of public land and establishment of businesses along the lake have given rise to another environmental hazard.
Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water body and the world’s second largest lake, is no longer fresh as it is polluted, overfished and choked by weeds.
The once clean lake is now choking with pollution from industrial and agricultural wastes, as well as raw sewage from Kenya’s third largest city of one million residents. The massive water body’s problems are compounded by illegal fishing, catching of juvenile fish, and infestation by the invasive water hyacinth.
A carnivorous Nile perch, a large fish breed that can grow to 200 kilogrammes (440 pounds) was introduced into the lake two decades ago. It has since wiped out nearly half of the 500-plus endemic species of Victoria cichlids. These are colourful fishes that once thrived within the lake.
“This lake is in a very sorry state. Everything about the lake is wrong. Fishermen are using wrong fishing gears, but nobody arrests them. Industries are discharging waste into the lake, but no action is being taken,” Moris Okulo, a trained ecologist who has worked as a guide at the lake’s Dunga beach in Kisumu for the past 20 years.
He lamented that some people have built structures including latrines inside the lake with the knowledge of law enforcing personnel, but the authorities are turning a blind eye to the blight.
Lake Victoria covers 68,800 square kilometres (26,500 square miles) and has six percent of its surface area in Kenya, 43 percent in Uganda, and 51 per cent in Tanzania, according to the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO), an inter-governmental fisheries management institution.
Despite the problems, Lake Victoria is believed to be the most productive freshwater fishery in Africa. Each year it yields more than 800,000 metric tonnes of fish with a beach value of up to $400 million and export earnings of $250 million, according to the LVFO. The fishing industry support the livelihoods of nearly two million people and helps feed nearly 22 million people in the region, according to the organization.
But the existence of the lake is now threatened, with Kenya National Cleaner Production (KNCPC) pointing out that 88 industries operating around the lake collectively dump seven tonnes of industrial waste into the lake every year. Yet none of the authorities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania prosecute offenders.
Sewage is another major source of pollution. On the Kenyan side, four major towns of Kisumu, Bondo, Homa Bay, and Migori that border the lake have malfunctioning sewage treatment plants or none at all. Just 10 per cent of households in Kisumu city are connected to the sewer system, according to an environmental and social impact report for a project to upgrade portions of the system. “Consequently, raw sewage is often discharged into the lake directly from unconnected sources through open drains or partially treated sewage from the treatment systems,” the report states.
Open sewers running from all corners of the city and deliberately directed into the lake are evident on the lake shore.
“The designers of the city did not consider the new settlements that are still coming up in Kisumu. As a result, the sewage system that was put in place cannot cope with the current pressure,” said Antony Saisi, Kisumu County Director of Environment at the Kenyan government’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Fortunately, in the town of Homa Bay a sewage treatment plant is now being constructed right by the shore of Lake Victoria with financing from the World Bank. Until it is completed, raw sewage from the broader Homa Bay County, with a population of 960,000, will continue to make its way to the lake.
At Dunga Beach in Kisumu city, public restrooms serving over 10,000 people who visit the beach every day hold pit latrines suspended right over the lake.
“We have not been able to tame washing of vehicles inside the lake because of lack of political support. We are dealing with hooligans who are politically connected,” said Saisi.
Behind the beachside facilities, the flies celebrate upon open sewer trenches discharging directly into Lake Victoria. Meanwhile, food kiosks erected on platforms extending into the waters of the lake serve thousands of visitors every day. The kiosks have no solid waste collection services, which means napkins, fish bones, bottle caps, and plastic bags also end up into the lake.
Collins Rabala, a fisherman at Dunga beach, said that he and his fellow fishermen often stay in their boats out on the lake for more than 15 hours at a stretch. “We carry food with us when we go fishing, and when it comes to answering calls of nature, we have no choice but relieve ourselves in the lake,” he said.
As a result of all the human waste pouring into the lake, recent study revealed traces of estrogenic endocrine disruptors in the lake. All water samples analyzed from nine sites in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania tested positive for several estrogenic compounds that can be released from human urine and faecal matter.
The study, co-authored by Paul Mbuthia, an associate professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Nairobi showed that high concentrations of such hormonal chemicals can cause abnormalities in animals, including humans.
“They interfere with normal organ system. With high quantities of estrone, chances of getting animals becoming more feminine are very possible. Others can cause tumors in the system,” Mbuthia said.
To save the lake, a regional body called Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme (LVEMP) is working with support from the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Sweden and East African Community partner states to reduce environmental stressors throughout the lake’s drainage basin and to enhance the basin’s ecological integrity.
The project that has been running from 2009 aims to solve deteriorating lake water quality due to sedimentation, pollution, declining lake levels, the resurgence of water hyacinth and other invasive weeds and over-exploited natural resources throughout the lake basin.
Kenya is home to the Winam Gulf, where Dunga beach is located. Saisi said the gulf is the breeding ground for nearly all the fishes in the lake, and fishing is prohibited there. But is the favourite spot for fishermen in the lake.
New World Economic Forum Report released this week titled Nature Risk Rising: Why the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy shows that globally, 115 million tonnes of mineral nitrogen fertilizers are applied to croplands each year, a fifth of these nitrogen inputs accumulate in soils and biomass, while 35 per cent enter oceans.
The report also shows there has been a 70 per cent increase of invasive alien species in non-native species, with adverse impacts on local ecosystems and biodiversity.
This article was first published by The Standard Group
The Writer is a Bertha Fellow.
