- It is time for action. We cannot afford to remain silent while our lake suffers and our people endure untold hardships.
- We must hold industries accountable for their negligence and demand stricter regulations to safeguard our water bodies.
Image: FILE
As a youth leader hailing from the shores of Lake Victoria, I can no longer stand idly by as our beloved lake, once teeming with life and vitality, now languishes in the grip of industrial toxins. The situation is dire, not just for the environment but for the very fabric of our community.
Industrial pollutants have posed a threat to Lake Victoria – the second largest freshwater lake in the world – killing fish and playing havoc with the health of my community, especially women, who make up nearly 80 per cent of the people whose livelihood is linked to fishing.
The effluents result from anthropogenic activities such as increased cage farming, reclamation of wetlands, industrial discharge and uncontrolled farming within riparian areas.
Imagine growing up in a place where the crystal-clear waters of Lake Victoria were not just a source of sustenance but a playground for our childhood adventures. Yet, today, those waters, once brimming with life, now fill us with dread.
Industrial pollutants have turned our cherished lake into a toxic wasteland, robbing us of our livelihoods and endangering our health, particularly that of our women who bear the brunt of this crisis.
The statistics are alarming. Nearly 80 per cent of those whose lives depend on fishing are women, yet they are the ones disproportionately affected by the decline in water quality. As fish stocks dwindle and aquatic life struggles to survive, the pressure on our community to find alternative means of survival intensifies. Desperation sets in, and with it comes exploitation.
In recent years, a disturbing trend has emerged – fishermen demanding sex in exchange for fish, a practice known as 'jobuya' or sex-for-fish. For women who do not own boats and rely on fishing for their livelihoods, the choice is stark: submit to exploitation or watch their families go hungry. This vicious cycle not only perpetuates gender inequality but also exposes women to greater risks of sexual exploitation and HIV.
Every human has a right to access clean water, but as you can see, this is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a health and gender issue as well. The unchecked discharge of industrial pollutants into Lake Victoria not only poisons our waters but also poisons the very essence of our community. It threatens our health, our livelihoods, and our future.
It is time for action. We cannot afford to remain silent while our lake suffers and our people endure untold hardships. We must hold industries accountable for their negligence and demand stricter regulations to safeguard our water bodies.
We must invest in sustainable solutions that promote both environmental conservation and economic prosperity. And, above all, we must empower our women to reclaim their rights and dignity, free from the shackles of exploitation and injustice.
As a resident of Siaya who feels strongly about environmental protection, public health, HIV prevention, and sexual and reproductive health, I believe speaking out for my community is up to all of us, starting with me.
I am calling on the Kisumu, Siaya, and Homa Bay county governments and partner agencies, including the National Environment Management Authority, to immediately regulate and effect proper waste disposal by industries.
We need a robust action plan with timelines immediately because the time to fix this problem was yesterday, or else we will lose our freshwater lake. We must restore sanity in our waters again, and this is one of the key agendas the UN-SDG has been championing.
Nguvu Change Leader fighting for the protection of Lake Victoria through an online petition titled 'Stop Industrial Toxins from Poisoning Lake Victoria’s Fish & Ruining Fisher Women's Health'