"There are interests. Some want to encroach while some want to conserve. I bet: may the most interested be conservationists"
Kericho county waste management is dire –car washing in the water, sewage leaking, soil erosion, and bathing in the water . The entire town’s waste: oil, plastic, market waste, is channeled to Kericho swamp which functions as business enterprise –car wash, laundry point –bathing site, water supply, farming –cattle grazing, fishing, cultural site –baptism and circumcision.
The swamp is turning against people: it is polluted. Its water is dirty of the direct discharge of sewage, and oil from the car wash. The swamp is bare, or at times with eucalyptus, an unfriendly species in the water fountain. The inhabitants do not care about the wetland.
Apart from the women who draw water from the swamp, there are other stakeholders –Finlays, Sanik, KEWASCO, Ministry of Agriculture etcetera. The stakeholders benefit from the wetland but do not care to improve.
In early 2012, NEMA, smiling of draft legislation for wetland, started wetland management plan –Tienosoyiet project. It is meant to start practical intervention to water pollution and solid waste management, and promote catchment management.
To benefit from the wetland, some things must be added value –Kericho Car washing enterprise facility that separates oil from water before releasing to the rivers be the alternative before displacing car washers. At times, leadership hint about chasing youths from washing in the river bank.
Forums are held to address the impending calamity. Everyone involved use the prelude: “we need to…” phrase, denoting lack of plans for the wetlands. There are interests. Some want to encroach while some want to conserve. I bet: may the most interested be conservationists.
Youth enterprises want to correct the mess. But they lack resources. There are some leaders who would want to lend a hand, but bureaucracy. The earth is not yet angry with man; it means there is a chance to change when youths are still youths and when interest is still interest.
Car washing is a good business when carried out in a car wash facility. People, birds, animals, who balance the nature, will get clean water when everyone takes the responsibility to care for the wetland.
let this youth have the modern machine for this job
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