• More than 10,000 residents from three locations affected.
• CS says problem is big and will require massive government intervention.
A major environmental disaster has hit Tana Delta subcounty after seawater mixed with freshwater from River Tana, causing serious effects on livelihoods in three locations.
Trouble started after two brooks created by River Tana entered the Indian Ocean, turning the freshwater salty.
More than 10,000 residents from Ozi, Konemasa and Chara who are mainly pastoralists, farmers and fishermen can no longer sustain their livelihoods due to the salty water.
Crops are dying while domestic and wild animals cannot drink the salty water.
Freshwater fish have disappeared as they cannot survive in the polluted water.
Already there is human-wildlife conflict due to the challenge of accessing freshwater and there are fears of a major famine due to crop failure.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko on Friday led a delegation of top ministry officials, Nema, Nature Kenya, Kenya Forest Service and MPs from Tana River to witnesses the disaster and declared it an emergency.
Tobiko did an aerial survey of the delta to see the many brooks created during floods, some of which have made their way to the ocean.
Due to inaccessibility, the delegation together with residents walked for over two kilometers to a site where locals had tried to temporarily block the ocean water from mixing with the fresh water during high tide.
The CS said the problem was big and will require massive government intervention.
Residents demanded urgent measures to be taken by the authorities to save them from the disaster that has already caused damage since 2013.
Ware Buno, senior chief of Konemasa location, said the salty water has affected livelihoods as people can no longer do farming or fishing.
Speaking to journalists at the Kalota brook near where the freshwater combines with that of the ocean, Buno said locals used to plant bananas, rice and other crops but they cannot survive with the salty water.
‘‘We are now witnessing increased cases of human-wildlife conflicts. Wild animals come to look for water in the villages as they are not able to drink salty water,’’ he said.
Among the animals that are causing havoc are elephants, buffalos and crocodiles.
‘‘The long-lasting solution is to close the brook to enable the locals do their normal economic activities,’’ he said.
Joseph Owino, a fisherman and village elder who has lived there since 1978, said his business has been highly affected as freshwater fish are no longer available.
‘‘Business has gone down. Women who used to buy and sell fish from fishermen cannot get them anymore. Youths have also turned jobless and we fear they could turn to crime,’’ he said.
Owino said in April farmers lost watermelons worth millions of shillings after they were affected by the salty water.
Salim Ali Zolazola, an elder from the area, said there have been outbreaks of diseases caused by the effects of the water that has turned salty.
He told the CS to urgently intervene to ensure the problem is addressed quickly so as to avoid serious repercussions.
Legislators present included Said Hiribae, Tana River Senator Juma Wario and former Woman Rep Halima Ware who is a board member of Nema.
Nema director general Geoffrey Wahungu said they would first construct a temporary blockage before coming up with a long-term strategy of ending the problem.