Conservation agents urge county to protect lake from encroachment

Conservation agencies have urged the Lamu County government to evict people living around a lake to protect its water.

Speaking to the Nation on Tuesday, Kenya Forest Service senior officer Francis Mang’ee said the water level in Lake Kenyatta in Mpeketoni is dropping because of encroachment by farmers.

Mr Mang'ee said the falling water level is a concern for residents who rely on it for their survival, saying it must be conserved.

"It has reached a point where the Lamu County government must come up with a law that will evict all people living around the lake, more especially within the lake’s catchment area.

"People continue to encroach [on] the lake’s catchment area daily and conduct farming.

"This is a major contributor to the current situation at Lake Kenyatta," Mr Mang’ee said.

The KFS officer further told leaders to stop politicising the issue and instead cooperate with environmentalists and other conservationists in ensuring crucial natural resources are safeguarded.

Similarly, Nixon Orwa, a Wild Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) project officer for Lamu, Ijara and Tana, called on all stakeholders to collaborate in resolving the problem.

Mr Orwa said humans are increasingly encroaching on areas reserved for wildlife in Lamu.

"A part from the situation at Lake Kenyatta, we have witnessed growing human invasion of wildlife habitats and forests in the county in the recent days.

"I call for a multi-stakeholder approach in salvaging such issues concerning conservation in this region," he said.