LAKE VICTORIA POLLUTION COULD PUT LIVES OF OVER 40 MILLION PEOPLE AT RISK OF HEALTH HAZARDS

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kampala City

OVER 40 million people could lose their means of livelihood if the pollution of Lake Victoria is not checked, regional local authorizes have warned.

“The lake is a source of income to over 50 million people. Once pollution is not checked,
in time it may disappear like Lake Chad did”, says Mr. Stephen Kabuye, the honorary president of the Lake Victoria Regional Local Authorities.

Kibuye, who is also the Mayor of Entebbe City, was addressing participants at the groups 8th annual meeting at Shinyanga Municipality in Central Tanzania, during a recent visit, said all the stakeholders should find ways to save the lake.

The Mayor noted that communities around Lake Victoria and beyond would lose their means of survival once the lake dried up.

“Problems like lack of water, school fees for children as well as money for food and healthcare will arise if nothing is done to stop degrading of the lake and the lake basin”, he said.

The participants, who included Mayors, division chairpersons and civic leaders from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, promised to sensitize local leadership about climate change.

Mr Julius-Ayo-Odongo, the general secretary of the group, revealed that the expansion of the project within the region had come up with good practices to help check on the climate change.

Lake Victoria Regional Authorities is a network of the local authorities within the Lake Basin that promotes sustainable management and development of common resources for the benefit and harmonious coexistence of the local communities. Rwanda and Burundi are also slated to be members.

This commission will further prepare a report on the number of arrested fishermen from both countries.

Kenya’s Minister for the East African Community Affairs, Mr. Amazon Jessa Kingi, said the commission will embark on bilateral talks with a view to finding lasting solution to end the arbitrary arrests of fishermen by either country.

Dozens of fishermen from Lake Victoria and Lunga Lunga near Kenya Tanzania border are currently reportedly serving jail terms as their families continue to plead with the Kenya government to intervene and bring them back home.

The Minister said the commission was formed after a recent meeting between Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Mwai Kibaki of Kenya to spearhead talks on the fate of dozens of Kenyan fishermen jailed in Tanzania.

Minister Kingi said sea and land border conflicts between the two countries, was one of the major precedent to realizing the integration of the East African Community.

He said Lake Victorian fishermen jailed in Tanzania were found guilty of trespassing, adding that the joint commission is expected to come up with the ways forward.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

– – –
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Subject: LAKE VICTORIA POLLUTION IS THREATENING THE LIVES OF 5O MILLION PEOPLE