FLOWERS ARE INNOCENT
Trading blame is hardly the best way to save the beleaguered Lake Naivasha
Above : A young lady smells the freshness of flowers during the 1ST IFTEX flowers exhibition held in Nairobi on March. It was a successful first exhibition of its kind with exhibitors coming from across the world.
In November 2007, I was contracted by a prominent international magazine to do an in depth news feature on the impact of flower farming in lake Naivasha and its environs.
This was years after I had published what I –an armchair environment journalist then- thought was the gospel truth about what ails the lake.
I was elated with what I believe was a “golden” opportunity to prove my long held hypothesis that flower farms do, indeed, wreak havoc on the lake and its environs. I was also fully armed with a detailed report done earlier by a human rights organization.
A professional photojournalist accompanied me and we had to dig deeper than I had earlier thought to prove my hypothesis.
We started by seeking the Kenya flower council for two reasons-to interview its CEO, Ms Jane Ngige, and to request the cooperation of, and access to, big –time flower concerns.
We started off by hearing out those who have always harboured the greatest beef with local flower industry.
They include a number of local fishermen, some residents of settlements such as Karagita, Kayole and Naivasha town, ex-workers of flower farms, members of Maasai community, and a retinue of NGO representatives, as well as freelance activists.
From this lot, we received long jeremiads about the untold havoc Naivasha’s flower industry had caused the water resources and the entire ecosystem.
Then we went on to listen to the other side of the story by hearing out officials of umbrella bodies such as Lake Naivasha Riparian Association and the management in a sample of the farms.
Many in this group were so apprehensive of the nature of our inquiry that they asked me to send to them a set of questions in advance.
Some of flower farms did not want to give us access to every corner of their facilities while some, like the giant Oserian, allowed us the freedom to tour and photograph whatever we wanted, and even arranged to have a panel of experts address every question we raised, as well as the concern by local people.
At some point, we collected and shipped samples of water flowing in one of the drains that emptied in to the lake and shipped into Germany for testing, hoping to prove that the farm emptied pesticide-laden waste water into the lake.
The tests turned out to be negative. Then we visited the third and final group that consisted of smallholder farmers whose modest concerns are lined up along the entire course of the lake’s tributaries such as Gilgil, Turasha and Malewa.
Here, we found people who farms all the way to the banks of the rivers and who were then not regulated whatsoever by any local or national water-governance institution.
We couldn’t help but conclude that an unspecified amount of the agro chemicals by most of the small-holders farmers must have found its way into tributaries before landing into the lake.
And from numerous publications, we learned that a big amount of the lake’s water is used up by local hotels, the Kenya Generating Company and that water from River Malewa is diverted to Nakuru County- which is not part of the Lake Naivasha Basin.
The Naivasha Municipal Council operates a dilapidated sewerage system that results in raw sewage finding its way into the lake.
I concluded that it would be inaccurate to direct the entire blame on one group of people operating there and that journalists would be wise not to listen to just one side of the story because there is a long running blame game in which nobody owns up.
When all is said and done, Lake Naivasha remains a shared resource and different players will have to come together, own up on whatever they have been up to, and engage in decisive actions to support initiatives aimed at saving the lake.
By John Mbaria
Mr. Mbaria is a consultant writer on environmental issues (gatumbaria@gmail.com)
Daily Nation Wednesday May 23, 2012- Opinion- page 13.
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Dear John Mbaria, Good Nation article on Lake Naivasha but how about Meru national Park? Have you been there since Warden Jenkins was removed in mysterious circumstances?
The Park, advertised as a Wilderness, is practically ruinede now. KWS have erected an immense ugly fence right through the main part of the park, not at all hidden like the Jenkins one.
It is unbelievable, worse than anything in a fenced South African park and utterly non "wilderness"..it runs for many many kms. The ostensible purpose is to increase the rhino sanctuary which needs no increase, and weirdly, to protect Grevy's Zebra ( who don't need fencing and don't like swamps).
It is a monumental eyesore and a complete raping of the wilderness concept but then someone made money on the fencing no doubt. Buffalos and elephants are now cut off from water and migration routes to swamps, and can be seen desperate and roaming the fences. Despite decades of poaching, Meru still had about 10 of the biggest bull elephants in Kenya left.
Funny how now one can't see any, and the Bwatherongi elephants and HQ elephant bull groups with the largest tuskers are.. where? Rumours abound that they are in elephant heaven. Herds of cattle have roamed the park. Visitors have encountered armed Somalis (with SK 47s) wandering through it.
Now, even more stupidly, KWS vows to eliminate tsetse in the park...presumably to make it more cattle friendly. On our last two trips we could no longer locate the huge herds of buffalo Meru was famous for.... but we saw a lot of camels. It's an unmitigated disaster, and yet the media buy the KWS press releases and print them like tame lapdogs.
The park is on the way to ruin ruin. Somebody should write something. Sincerely Peter Gachigua, Nairobi
Dear Mr Mbaria,
I was surprised and pleased to find your balanced and succinct article in the Nation. If you will allow me some of your time, my thoughts are as follows, if you are interested. I have grown up beside the Lake, and studied it extensively in cooperation with WRMA, the WRUA, LNRA etc for my thesis, and have followed the various politicised arguments with interest, and then with disappointment, as the country and the international community continue to bash one stakeholder of many.
This is despite the longest research program, by Leicester University, concluded that they are not the main problem, and brought these findings to the Prime Minister. No water resource degradation in this country is the result of one stakeholder's actions.
Less so one as regulated and overseen by the government, their own regulations, those of their customers (who hold strict European standards). I am glad you also included the out of basin transfer of water to Nakuru. This is rarely admitted or addressed when floriculture bashing.
We are seeing the small beginnings of a similar floriculture/horticulture bashing exercise in Laikipia. If you are interested, there is a wealth of information on the Laikipia water situation and the reasons for its degradation. I have been asked by the Mount Kenya Grower's Group, on behalf of the company for whom I work, to come up with a concept to improve the information on the groundwater resources in the area.
This is because they want to ensure that their water usage does not negatively impact other water users. Floriculture, by the nature of its customer base, has to be environmentally aware and able to prove that it is not negatively impacting the local population.
This will contribute to the Laikipia Wildlife Forum's Water Resource Management Strategy, wherein we find WRUA strengthening, community participation from government through flower farms to small holder farmers. It is interesting to note that here the community irrigation programs abstract more than flower farms.
This is because the flower farms harvest their rainwater, which can account for up to 50% of their annual water supply. Moreover, the public disinformation about groundwater has led to a proliferation of boreholes on smallholder, and large, farms. There is no concept that a milk carton with 400 straws will run out much faster than one with only 2.
I wonder how long before the floriculture industry in Laikipia will be relegated to the same politicised criticisms as Naivasha? It is interesting to see how such an important part of our economy can be seen with such disdain. Don't read me wrong, I am an environmentalist first. I studied Water Management and am a self-professed 'tree-hugger'.
If I thought that floriculture was as bad for the water resources of this country then I most certainly would be the first to say so. However, I think the country's main problem with respect to its water resources is its total lack of capacity, information dissemination and strategy. But that is another long tirade in itself, so I won't bore you with that! I look forward to reading more of your columns.
Best regards, Anne-Marie
I would urge you to research on Lake Naivasha's downfall since the People in Maiella- Ng'ati Farm specifically cut all the trees in the area for firewood and Charcoal after the famous tribal clashes that destabilized the Enoosupukia zone.
The effect has been reduced rainfall over the years with a drastic effect on the lake that has declined drastically.
Any serious environmental undertaking must involve the re-afforestation of Maiella- Ng'ati Farm. I have been campaigning hard on my part; but free tree seedling especially now that there is heavy rains in the area have not been forth-coming.
Area residents are poor and cannot afford to buy the seedlings. Who is willing to help? Would Kefri help? Would you LNRA HELP? I will avail transport for the seedlings!What other organizations around the Lake Naivasha Basin are willing to help the re-afforestation at Maiella- Ng'ati Farm and see the difference in a short while? Joseph Irungu M'MuchiriTel:- +254 722 562 852Tel :-+254 733 991 991E-mail:- papaaffluence@yahoo.com