AFRICANEWS

East Africa

Weed blocks Kisumu port

Economy

Kisumu port in western Kenya, can no longer be relied on as a linkpoint to neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania because boats that dock at the port cannot leave due to the chocking of the area by water hyacinth, a weed that has covered the surface of the lake leaving marine vehicles with no passage. Boats must wait for a breeze to clear the weed before they can make a move.

James Otieno, a boat merchant at Kisumu port stares at his vessel "Nyar imbo" in utter despair. "Oh no not again!," he exclaims and in a fit of anger slams his fist on a perimeter wall, depicting the frustrations and agony that has become life in Lake Victoria region. Huge masses of water hyacinth weed drifting with afternoon wind have just invaded Winam gulf, formerly east Africa's hub of trade, trapping Fishermen's boats and cargo vessels marooned to either offload or load goods.

Otieno's boat had just been loaded with tones of fingerlings "omena" ready to set sail to Kendu bay. With an un expected invasion ,of weed, he stands to incur heavy losses as he helplessly waits for the weed to drift back from the port.
The waiting could take two to three weeks, depending on the tide or weather conditions. Such is the helplessness of the fishing community, transporters and traders whose means of livelihood has been adversely affected by water hyacinth weed, now chocking this world's second largest fresh water lake.

Government's of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya seem helpless as the weed menace threatens to stall economic activities at the lake. Mr Francis Nyenze, Kenya's Environmental minister recently visited the Kisumu port where the weed is covering over 40 kilometres of shoreline blocking some 100 fishing boats each losing about Ksh 3,000 a day. After viewing the green mass of vegetation, "the bewildered government official remarked "I thought it ( water hyacynth menace ) was a small thing, its effects are drastic". Kenya Railways Corporation which used to operate steamer services between Kisumu and Port Bell in Uganda and Mwanza in Tanzania has cancelled its voyages, a spokesman from the company revealed that the weed had spread its tentacles in every available space making it impossible for steamers to dock or leave the port.

"Marine transport has gone down by 70 per cent", the corporation announced recently as it grounded its five cargo vessels. Similarly, about 40 private commercial cargo vessels which used to voyage between East African countries alongside several outboard engines pulled out leaving thousands jobless.

Massive Tanzanian tankers like M.V Umoja, M.V.Kakalenga and M.V. Mother Teresa hardly make voyages to Kisumu any more for fear that the thick carpet weed portends a marine disaster. Cargo destined to Rwanda and parts of central Africa including Democratic Republic of Congo are often trapped for upto one month as cargo continues to pile. In its hey days, Kisumu port served as a link between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Vessels from Uganda would transport large quantities of fuel, construction materials and industrial merchandise to the landlocked countries.
Tanzania would import beer, hardware materials and assorted consumer goods while vessels from Tanzania brought to Kenya, cattle feed, cotton seeds and textiles.

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