Environment Cabinet Secretary (CS) Keriako Tobiko has said that he will set up a taskforce to enforce the newly launched Lake Ol bolossat Management Plan that is meant to promote conservation of the lake.
Tobiko said during the launch at Githunguchu, Kiriita Ward, that for the restoration of the heavily encroached lake to be achieved, there was need for formulation of a special committee to oversee the implementation of the 10 year plan regardless of the changes in leadership in the country.
“The governor has requested me to form a task force to follow up on the progress of implementation of this management plan at the county, and I will table it with the cabinet because it is relevant to this endeavour.”
“Other communities have been able to capitalize on the natural resources around them such as the Mara community and it is important that the Nyandarua and Laikipia communities spearhead these efforts. Therefore, it is important that the community embraces this lake as a source of economic, cultural and environmental importance in this country,” Tobiko added.
Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia addressing the attendees said that a taskforce would be of importance to ensure that there is continuity to restore the lake to its former glory.
“This special committee will ensure that the plan is being implemented regardless of changes in the political arena in the county to the country level because of the urgent need to conserve this resource that bears a lot of significance even in the global sphere,” Kimemia added.
Nyandarua County Commissioner Amos Mariba also said that previous strategies to reduce human-animal conflict in the county had not been effective and underpinned the need for more stringent measures to be taken on the situation.
The commissioner said that the strategies taken by the environmental committee was to dig trenches to keep the hippos from coming into the surrounding areas and attacking people but the animals were still crossing over the trenches.
“This has posed a threat to the lives and livelihoods of the people because in almost all surrounding communities, agriculture has been affected by these animals grazing in shambas. We therefore propose that an electric fence be erected around the lake to keep encroachers out and the hippos in their zones,” added Mariba.
The lake forms the source of the Ewaso Nyiro which supplies water to communities in Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu and Garissa counties.
By Rahab Naimutie
