Residents of Kakamega have been asked to harvest rainwater to prevent wastage of the thousands of litres poured in the region almost daily.
The county has annual rainfall ranging from 1,280mm to 2,214mm.
Environmentalist Lydia Asisi has urged locals to install water guards, which will enable the easy harvesting of rainwater into tanks and other holding facilities in homes.
She observed that most homes still depend on water from rivers, located quite a distance from the homes, when they can easily harvest the commodity from the daily rains pounding the region.
“We are encouraging people to try and install water harvesting amenities on their roofs so that they are able to harvest all the water that comes forth instead of leaving it to go to waste. You don’t need to go to the river if you have already harvested water in your home. It will save you the stress and energy,” Asisi said.
The environmentalist said the situation would also help save soil from absorbing too much water, which gradually destroys the fertility and ability to retain major beneficial nutrients that are easily washed away by the torrents of pouring water.
Rain falls throughout the year in Kakamega, with April being the month with the most rain with an average rainfall of 9.3 inches, while January records the least rain with an average rainfall of 1.6 inches.
“But at any given time, it's raining here in Kakamega. This means we are in a very good position to harvest water which can be stored for use even in years to come,” Asisi said.
Kakamega farmer Nicholas Musotsi, who harvests water on his farm, says the stored water comes in handy during the reduced rains season as he is able to use the water for irrigation and proceed with his farming ventures unhindered.
He however offers that the reason most homes don’t have rain harvesting materials is owing to the cost of the facilities involved.
“It's not easy getting an entire home installed with the UPVC pipes and the tanks or preferable storage facilities. People would rather use the money for something else and deal with the challenges later. But harvesting is a lifesaver,” Musotsi said.
At a time when many parts of the country are reporting harsh drought spells that have left water sources dry and hundreds of livestock dead from water shortage, the Kakamega situation presents a rare opportunity for locals to save water for the future.
Edited by Henry Makori
