Experts must end the threat of water hyacinth: Sonko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko challenged environmentalists to preserve Lake Victoria from the hyacinth that choked him.

Governor Sonko said Tuesday that the floating weed, which now covered 360 hectares of the lake, had hampered movement and fishing.

The governor spoke at the Kenyatta International Convention Center, where the conference on sustainable economy is being held during the forum of governors and mayors.

Mr Sonko asked leaders and environmentalists to find a solution to the threat of water hyacinth, which would also have limited the growth of the economy, which is the second largest lake in the world. fresh water of the world.

"It is not normal for all environmental experts to be unable to find a solution to this threat. At this conference, we should take the resolution that we now allow factors to negatively affect the blue economy without concerted efforts to address it. We must find a way to permanently remove this weed. We owe it to our people, "he said in his speech at the conference.

Lake Victoria is bordered by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the Kenyan part being the most affected by the weed.

The Governor also called for an end to the pollution of oceans, lakes and rivers, calling it a danger for all of humanity.

He praised Kenya's ban on plastic bags, saying it had significantly reduced the amount of plastic found in the waters.

"We must preserve our environment. The pollution of oceans, lakes and rivers is a danger for all of humanity. Kenya recently banned the use of plastic bags, most of which ended up in dumps and in the water supply system, "he said.

"Our oceans and lakes offer us tremendous potential for employment, agriculture, tourism, energy, industry and travel. As a result, we can eliminate hunger, ensure our livelihoods and improve our standard of living. It is up to us to exploit this potential. "

"Over the last four months, we have eliminated hundreds of tonnes of waste from our rivers and are now running a campaign to maintain this momentum," he said.

Regarding the city's beautification program, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of UN-Habitat, said that Nairobi was an excellent example of environmental management.

Decentralization Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa also congratulated the county, saying, "I thank Governor Sonko for making Nairobi more beautiful than it has ever been."