The Water hyacinth menace in Lake Victoria could be a thing of the past. This is after a 70-metre dredging vessel arrived in the Lakeside city to begin work in removing the weed.
The ship has been procured by Lake Region Economic Bloc, National Government, Kisumu County Government in partnership with Uganda based Mango Tree Group.
Water Hyacinth is a monocotyledonous freshwater aquatic plant of Pontederiaceae family. The plant annually blocks and locks up the water channels, preventing communities along the lake and coastal region whose livelihood, homes and businesses, revolve around water from moving around.
According to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), about 3,000 hectares of the lake is now covered with the weed.
The weed has also covered most of the beaches along the lake.The unending war against the weed has been protracted and costly. According to KMFRI, satellite images indicate that a huge hyacinth mass is headed towards Homa Bay and a number of beaches in Kisumu.
Consequently, transport and business activities in the lake have been disrupted with researchers at the State agency warning fishermen and marine transport operators to prepare for tough days ahead.
Well, seems like the tough days could soon be over with the acquisition of the dredging vessel.
AU High Envoy for infrastructure Raila Odinga alongside Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyongo are expected to officially launch the use of the vessel.
WATCH HOW THE VESSEL WORKS BELOW: