Report compiled By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

The new constitution of Kenya, which was promulgated by President Mwai Kibaki on August 4, 2010 , and which created 47 Counties, will now open up most of the interior parts of Western Kenya for tourists.

It will open the regions surrounding Lake Victoria for overseas tourists as it will revive the forty five year old sleeping and nearly forgotten blueprint for Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.

Officially launched in 1966 by the then Minister for Tourism and Wildlife in the post-independence government headed by the founding President, the late Jomo Kenyatta, the late Samuel Onyango Ayodo who by then was the MP for Kasipul-Kabondo,the circuit was meant well to give the communities living in the Lake Victoria basin an opportunity to receive overseas visitors.

The program, however, was shelved for years for some unknown political reasons and did not see the light of the day. It remained in the drawing board for well over four decades. Local political pundits believes, this was part of the elaborate scheme hatched by the Kenyatta government to marginalize ad economically strangled rural communities living in the region, especially the residents of the highlands west of the Rift Valley for political reasons.

For many years, tourists from overseas countries were always diverted to the coast and to Kenya’s fertile National in Tsavo East and West National Game Parks and Reserves, which are located between the Coast and Eastern regions, and the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, Meru and Mt Kenya National Game Park and other parks like Abardare and Lake Nakuru Parks With exception of the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, most of these parks are situated in the highlands, east of the Rift Valley.

The aims and objectives were meant to frustrate the communities living in the region around the Lake Victoria basin. And it worked well temporarily serving the purposes of its perpetrators.

In the old days, Tourists were denied the opportunity of visiting the most populous regions in Western Kenya so that they could meet the people and view the villages as well as learnt about their rich diverse cultures and tradition in the villages.

A new private enterprise firm owned by a Kisumu and Nairobi based business magnate Aloys Otieno of the Otieno and Associates has embarked on a well elaborate plan to open and resuscitate the sleeping Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.

The plan is to open up the regions for tourists on several routes, which is expected to cover nearly all the tourist attraction centers, pre-historic sites, game parks with rare stocks wild animals species, bird watching sites, fish landing beaches.

When implemented fully, the program is expected to take the tourist to the Lake Basin regions via several routes, during which the visitors would have a golden opportunities of viewing the unique and green landscapes consisting of tea plantations, the largest concentration of Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru and Lake Elmtaita, hinterland lakes in Baringo County and the Mt Elgon on the northern zones.

It will take the visitors to the southern routes which include the Maasai Mara Game Park and Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe valley, which is situated only a few kilometers of the eastern shorelines of Lake Victoria in Homa-Bay County.

On the middle route, the circuit will take the visitors to the unique Kit Mikaye double storey Rock, which is located a few meters beside the Ksumu-Bondo main road in the west of Kisumu City and also branch o northward to the famous “Crying Rock, which situated a few kilometers outside Kakamega Town in the Kakamega County, and the visitors if lucky enough could have a chance of visiting the nearby Kakamega Forest, which famed to be the home of the deadliest poisonous snakes and unique species of birds.

All these places have very unique stories accompanying them. Tourist may be tempted to drive further west to Alego Kgelo Nyang’oma home of the now famous family of the US President Barack Obama in the Siaya County. President Obama has a family route in Kenya and ever since his accession to power in the US, which is one of the most powerful nation on the earth, there has been a great influx of foreign visitors to the tiny and previously sleeping and backward dusty rural village

Several tourist class hotels have sprung up in Alego Kogelo ancestral home of President Obama which is the burial sites of his grand father Hussein Onyango Obama and his biological father the late Barack Hussein Obama Senior. The Obama cultural Center is currently under the construction, and when completed will cater for the visitors as the family history and other works of the late Obama Snr., a former top economist adviser to the Kenya government.

Depending on the tourist guides, the visitors may drive on past Siaya Town and visit the nearby Lake Kanyaboli, which plans are no a foot to establish a small animal sanctuary to protect the rare, but extremely endangered sitatunga antelopes warthogs, wild-pigs, water-bucks and birds, the re-claimed Yala Swamp now housing a multinational rice farm owned by the multinational Dominion Farm Ltd from the US. The reclaimed land comprises an area roughly estimated to be approximately 17,500 hectares.

The tourist may drive on and cross the River Yala and visit the famous Got Ramogi, which is believed by the local communities to be the first homestead of the famous Ramogi Ajwang’, which is the ancestor of most of the Southern Luos who settled in Kenya about 600 years after harrowing movement from the Southern Sudan, through Uganda and Kenya. Parts of the community moved on and settled in the North Mara district in Western Tanzania. Got Ramogi was recently declared as an historic site, and a structure signifying its importance in the shape of a museum or a tourist camp is planned.

Otieno and Associate an enterprise owned by a Kenyan family has acquired the fleet of new vehicles which include several four-wheel drives vehicle for rough terrain of roads.

The tourists visiting this route may drive backward southern-ward and land at the Nyamira Kang’o Kajaramogi home of the late hero and freedom fighter, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who is the father of Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. An ultra mausoleum has been construct there, which is housing all the work of the fame hero and the uncompromising champion fighter for democracy in Kenya..

Further southern, the tourist could drove up to Luanda-Kotieno jetty and catch up with Mbita Ferry on a the forty minutes voyage across the shallow water of the Nyanza Gulf to Mbita Point and drove on eight miles to the Mausoleum of another famed freedom fighter the late Tom Mboya at his Matenga village home village, Kamasengre home on Rusinga Island, where a mausoleum is built and declared as part of the National Museum.

And before one reached the late Mboya’s home there is another unique tourist attraction site called Nyama-Gi-Ware. Two small rocks in the sampling the two bulls fighting inside the lake near Wanyama fish landing beach and trading center. The locals believes and maintains that the two rocks were atone time living animals and one bull belonged to Ware the ancestral father of the Waware the largest clan on Rusing island and the other one belonged to Mnyama, a brother of Ware. And that the two bulls fought the fiercest battle until they enter into the lake water and turned rocks. The story is sounding rather suppesitution, but the rocks are worth viewing by any visitor on Rusinga Island.

Several tourist class hotels have sprung up ever since the opening of Rusinga Island via the causeway bridge across Mbita Chanel. They include Mbita Beach Hotel on the mainland, Mbita Holiday Inn Hotel on Rusing Island and a unique Lodge, which is not far away from Mboya’s home. There are also several middle class hotels, which could accommodate the tourist on both side of the Mbita Channel.

And from Rusinga Island tourists using boats could cruise on a one hour voyage to Mfangano Island where there are plenty to be seen. There are Old Caves and the unique Soklo Platoon for birds watching. This sparsely inhabited Island but large in size than its twin Rusinga Island.

There are properly maintained airstrips on both Rusinga and Mfangano Isands where planes carrying tourist have been landing almost on daily basis from Maasai Mara’s Kekorok based airstrip or flying tourists directly from Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

Coming back to the mainland, visitor could drive directly to Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley which has plenty of wild animals including the rare Roan Antelope, which are only found in Simba Hills and the coats and also in the Republic of South Africa. There is a disused tourist lodge, which was built close to 50 years ago by the then African District Council of South Nyanza, but which run-down and closed down its business in the late 1960s due to lack of customers. This magnificent could be renovated by a private entrepreneur and open its door once again if an investor could be found. It is situated rigt inside the Ruma National game Park

Tourist could move on to Gwassi Hills and travel down to Nyandiwa for a view of another important pre-historic site of Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare. Here the visitors come early in the morning hours, they could be able to see footprints of a man and his domestic animals on the rocks, which are believed to be that of the legendary Nyamgondho and his estranged bogus wife, who is believed to have deserted him and disappeared in the lake with her domestic animals and other sources of wealth.

The trip could take the visitors up to Sori Town in Karungu Bay or make a return journey to Mbita via Sindo and onward to Homa-Bay or drives on to Aora -Chuodho via the burial site of the famous polygamist the late Akuku Denja who died and was buried last December. A Mausoleum has since been constructed on the dangerman’s grave. The man is famed for having married close to 102 wives with whom he sired 216 children.

THE ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF LAKE VICTORIA, AND ITS INFRASTRACTURAL DEVELOPMENT ITS REPERIAN COUNTIES TO SPUR GROWTH UNDER THE KENYA’S NEW CONSTITUTION DISPENSATION.

Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria which is only 1/6of the lake is bordered by the riparian Counties of Busia,Siaya.Kisumu,Homa-Bay and Migori.

The Nyanza Gulf part of Lake Victoria is shallow, highly polluted and frequently invaded by water hyacinth weed which is grossly impeding fishing and navigational of transport vessels.

The rise and fall of Lake Victoria waters and factors mentioned above have slowed down economic activities in the Western Kenyan regions.

With collapse of the Kenya Railways Corporation marine services in the 199s, main economic activities in the region are fishing and marine transport by ssese canoes which are prone to fatal marine accidents. Most of the vessels carrying large quantities of cargo to Kisumu port come from Tanzania and Uganda.

Gulf waters are of little economic use now as fish has emigrated o the deep and larger part of the lake. Waters highly polluted to an extent of even domestic animals do not use it. It is time other economic activities are introduced to spur development in the riparian counties.

Lake Victoria and rivers flowing into it are the major natural resources of the region whose waters should be put to better economic uses.

The Kenya Vision 2030, the current economic blueprint of the Kenya government and new constitution devolving development to the countries calls for initiation of new economic development in the region with the countries need to provide infrastructure for integrated transport system to attract investors to spur economic growth of the region.

To make good economic use of Lake Victoria new vessels need to be introduced for fishing and marine transport. Other activities such as cruise shipping leisure boat rides sport {games} fishing, water sports, rowing ,sailing and surfing need to be introduced to diversify economic activities.

“Hydrographic surveys must be carried out in the lake, navigational charts produced and navigational marks such as lights and buoys put in place. Safety of navigation and vessels can only be secured when the waters are charted as investors would not put in their vessels in uncharted waters“, says an expert.

Captain John Martin Odhach a retired captain who has since became a consultant on marine transport suggested in an article that ports and beaches in the riparian countries should be developed through the construction of piers, jetties and good access roads. Areas served by ferries with bow doors have to be with landing ramps.

Disposition of the ports and beaches are listed bellow;- Busia County Sio Port, Port Victoria, Marenga and Osieko Beach In Siaya County are Osieko Beach, Usenge Beach, Uhanya Beach, Wich Lum, Misori, Luanda KJotieno, Wayaga Beach, Kunya Beach and Asembo -Bay.

Kisumu County has the following beaches: Kaloka Beach, Ndere Island, Kisumu Port, Duga Beach, Sango Beach and Kusa Beach.

Homa-BayCounty has the following beaches: Karabondi, Seka Beach, Kendu Bay,Wath Mainuga,Kowuor, Homa-Bay, Mbita Town,Wanyama Beach, Utajo Beach,Luanda Kolunga, Siehenga and, Rusinga,Sindo Beach, Nyandiwa and Kisegi as well and Mfangano.

Migori County has the fewest beaches. They include Sori Bay in Karungu, Muhuru Bay and Migingo Island which is currently under the administrative authority of Uganda.

Kisumu City which is the regional hub of business and getaway to East Africa now houses regional and national institutions with mandate for economic development of the region such as Lake Victoria Basin Commission, an institution of the East African Community, Lake Basin Development Authority, Lake Victoria Environmental Program, Lake Victoria Water Management and Western fisheries as well as the regional branch of the Western Kenya Fisheries Research Institute.

The East African Common Market with a population of close to 120 million people is a bigger trading bloc requiring better coordinated integrated transport system of air, land water for better service delivery.

The new Counties should by now start putting infrastructure for integrated transport system by developing air strips, ports, piers, access roads, trunk roads and hydrographic surveys in the lake.

Experts says that the Lake Victoria navigational charts currently in use were published in 1901 when the lake was being opened for navigation to complete Uganda Railways arts in 1936,but since then the lake has experienced rise and fall in water level. The navigation Charts are now archaic and danger to navigation

It is now imperative that the lake must have hydrographic surveys carried out for the production of up-to date navigation Charts.

The East African governments have seen the importance of Lake Victoria Basin Commission with mandate to control and regulate marine transport, safety of navigation, vessels, training of marine personnel and efficient manning of ships plying the lake as promulgated by Lake Victoria Act f the EAC.

The government of Kenya and its counties should work with the Lake Basin Commission in effecting Hydrographic Surveys, particularly in the ports and beaches in the riparian counties to enhance safety. Navigation and port charts to be produced with navigational aids such as lights, buoys, wrecks and navigational danger marked on the charts for guidance of boat operators.

The Central government and countries have to construct ports the pier, jetties, ferry landing ramps and anchorages for vessels. Construction of facilities such as cold storage, passenger lounge should be essential part parts of the larger plan for tourist attraction to the regions.

The Central government and the countries need to construct ports, piers, ferry landing ramps anchorage,for mooring vessels.The jetties, piers, anchorage and channels need to be dredged to a reasonable depth for safety of vessels. Under water obstruction to be removed and danger points clearly marked with buoys.

Water hyacinth weed has been impediment to navigation activities in the lake for a long time, particularly in the Nyanza Gulf [Kavirondo Gulf] where it has been blocking ports and beaches The government, counties the government, counties and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission need to work out methods of removing these weeds manually by the labor which is abundance in the region.

The removal of hyacinth weeds will make navigation safe in Lake Victoria. The counties in turn and for the purpose ports attracting more revenues should construct access roads for ease of connections between air, land and water transport. Counties should strength the management of ports, beaches, recreation facilities to enhance their revenue base. The government and counties need to encourage local and international investors to participate in the creation of facilities and amenities.

Investors should be welcomed to put up boat building and repair yards in selected ports with resources as Kisumu City. Kenyan should be assisted to venture into acquisition by guaranteeing loans fro the lending financial institutions to provide marine transport and fishing..

The local counties should provide land in the ports and beaches for building of hotels and recreation amenities. The local Counties should create enabling environment for doing business by providing regulations which enhances safety and security of property and people.

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND LAKE VICTORIA AND SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGES.

Kisumu City is arguably the hub of economic activities of the Western Kenya region and has a weekly regional market at Kibuye, which is serving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and to the extent Southern Sudan. The City is served by rail, road , air and water transport. Kisumu Airport is being upgraded to international standard and will soon be handling larger commercial planes carrying more passengers and cargo for international destinations.

The increase in trade in the region call for better integrated transport system to facilitate the movement of people and traded goods. Rail transport in the region is very limited as the line from Nairobi enters Kisumu County at Koru before reaching Kisumu City. There is a short rail line from Kisumu to Butere in Kakamega County transiting through Siaya County at Yala Town.

Major trunk roads in the region link Kisumu County to Busia Town, Port Victoria, Siaya Town, Mbita Town, Osieko Beach, Luanda K0otieno, Kendu-Bay, Homa-Bay, Migori Town, Muhuru Bay Town Oyugis Town and Sori Town in Karungu Bay. These roads form ring roads around Kenya portion of Lake Victoria. It was planned that by the year 2010 all ring roads around the lake were to be tarmacked and made all weather roads.

The poor dirt access roads to the port and beaches from the trunk roads and counties need to build these roads to ll weather standards to access transport jetties and piers.

When Lake Victoria Hydrographic surveys are completed navigational aids will be in place. Jetties and piers constructed for berthing of vessels, investors will be attracted to deploy their vessels for the provision of marine transport, leisure trips and water sports in the lake.

Residents of the region will be in a position to tap economic potentials of Lake Victoria by diversifying the uses of the waters such as surfing, rowing, surfing and fishing. About two million of cargo transported through the lake mainly in vessels owned by Tanzanian and Ugandan nationals,. Establishment of East African Community as a trading bloc of 120 people, has created huge market with big volume of traded goods requiring efficient marine transport. There is great potential for investing in vessels to provide marine services required in the lake.

Kenya owned Mbita Ferry provides service on the Mbita Channel between Luanda Kotieno in Uyoma peninsula to Mbita Point. The ferries owned by a local entrepreneurs Mr Sammy Wakiaga of Rusinga Island are sometime contracted to provide marine transport services to other destinations in the lake. The services offered at port from Kisumu to Mbita Town and environs by three hours.

Other routes to be opened up are Sio Port/Port Victoria to Rusinga and Mfangano Islands,Wayaga Beach to Homa-Bay, Kendu Bay, Asembo Bay Kowuor and Kisumu. There will be increased agricultural production of food crops to supply local demand particularly the larger Kisumu City market and for export to international market via the newly expanded Kisumu Airport. Fishing in the lake and fish farming will be enhanced for the production of fish. Agriculture and fishing are labor intensive which will result in employment of many people, especially the youths and school-leavers.

Kisumu City being the hub of economic activities in the region will be served by vessels from all over the ports and beaches in the region and those from neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania. Marine transport will spur trade in the region, local and foreign tourists will access the vessels for transport and recreation thereby spurring economic growth. The area now calls for the establishment of stronger road transport activities, and local business magnates are called upon to invest into small and bigger passenger vehicles to supplement the marine transport.

Horticulture crops such as vegetables, green maize, flowers grown in the area will be transported to Kisumu on a daily bas to meet the demand of Kisumu City population and for export to international market at Kisumu Airport.

Special built vessels for leisure trips and recreation will serve the tourists and locals who will want to enjoy these facilities. The newly created counties will need to provide integrated transport for people to access the facilities offered by the lakeside city.

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com