Rescuers paddle a boat in deep hyacinth water to the shores of Lake Victoria at Wagusu beach in Bondo sub-county, Siaya county on June 24,2018 with victims who had been trapped in the lake after heir oat was surrounded by the weed. Kenya Marine Fisheries Institute has raised concern over disrupted transport and transport in the lake as over 3000 hectors are covered by the weed. [Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard

A Sh80m water hyacinth harvesting machine has been lying idle for three years now even as the weed continues spread on Lake Victoria.

Marine experts say the weed has so far taken over at least 4,000 hectares, an area 20,000 times bigger than the disputed Migingo island.

A parliamentary select committee on regional integration is now accusing the Ministry of  Environment and Forestry of doing little to address the hyacinth invasion despite receiving financial assistance from donor partners.

The machine was purchased by the ministry through phase two of Lake Victoria Environmental Project jointly funded by the Government and the World Bank. 

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Stubborn weed

On Tuesday, MPs toured Kisumu pier where the machine has stalled as the stubborn weed continues to wreak havoc on economic activities in the Victoria.

“It is saddening that the water hyacinth is here with us and yet we have a machine that can help us fight this wed,” said Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda.

Earlier, officials from the Environment ministry and those from the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) informed the MPs that some components of the machine were yet to be fitted.

“The remaining parts of the machine cost about Sh2 million, we are wondering why the ministry cannot ensure that this is paid so that the machine can start benefiting the people,” said Ochanda.

Once operational, the machine is expected to remove about 7 hectares of the weed from the lake everyday. LVBC said it has already purchased trucks to ferry the weed from the lake’s shores once it is removed.

The MPs concerns come at a time when experts have warned that the weed will spread faster in the coming months despite efforts by LVBC to eradicate it.

The MPs said that they would summon the Cabinet Secretary for Environmental to explain why the multi-million machine is not being utilised to fight the weed.

According to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), the weed has spread to 1,100 hectares in the past one month alone.

The institute’s director, Christopher Aura, told The Standard that satellite images indicated that the weed has taken over about 4,000 hectares of the lake, blocking several beaches and paralysing transport and fishing activities.

According to Dr Aura, the fight against the weed has been long and costly.

The marine expert said the most effective method to eradicate the weed was manual removal.

Predictability map

“We are monitoring it’s spread using a predictability map. Right now it is heading towards a number of beaches,” said Aura.

He said wind patterns in the lake had an impact on the movement of the weed.

It’s spread has affected fishing in the lake. Fishermen said they were afraid of getting trapped by the weed, which is also known to hide snakes and hippos.

“It is a risky affair to fish at night because you cannot tell where the weed is and if it is going to surround you or not,” said Ignatius Otieno, a fisherman at Ngege beach.

Late last month, four fishermen were trapped by the weed for three days near Ngegu beach before they were rescued.

County director for disaster management, Eliud Onyango, warned that the lake was becoming increasingly dangerous due to the weed.

Traders said the rapid spread of the weed was affecting business around the lake and called for more efforts to eradicate it.